Town of South Bruce Peninsula Fails to Protect Oliphant's Coast

The Town of South Bruce Peninsula took a huge step backwards recently. At a Council Meeting on September 18, 2012, Jim Turner (2nd by Chris Thomas) requested that the posts installed two years ago to create contained parking on Sandy Bay Beach in Oliphant, be removed. Only two councillors voted against the motion.

Mr. Turner indicated that the OPP and the town’s insurer had told him that there may be liability issues if someone is hurt on posts they have installed. He could not provide documentation for these opinions. (We can’t help but wonder if they would be liable if someone was run over by a truck crossing the lakebed, while they were swimming.)

Oliphant’s coastal wetlands are under pressure. Uncontrolled vehicle access is disturbing the shoreland, spreading invasive species, changing the vegetation that will grow, and destroying the seed bed that is there to emerge in the normal cycle of succession as waters recede.

Members of the community who have attempted to be active in protecting the shoreline here, are being targeted through offensive signage that refers to women involved as “bitches.“ We are disturbed that this signage has remained on display for two years in our community, and our council has done nothing about it.

FOOCE desired a collaborative approach to problem solving to reduce vehicle impact while respecting the rights of individuals to access their property and enjoy our shorelines and water. A Steering Committee was struck by municipal employees during the tenure of our previous council, and progress was made on a number of issues of concern.

FOOCE was invited to participate and bring the environmental perspective, and other groups – First Nations were invited, Grey-Bruce Kiteboarding Assoc., a community group led by D. Pocock, Oliphant Campers Association reps, Grey-Sauble Conservation Authority, The Coastal Centre and MNR to share their knowledge and experience and provide input regarding safe and calm sharing of space between multiple user groups.

This resulted in some preliminary steps being agreed upon, and with what we all understood to be the approval of council, the town put in parking areas to reduce impact of vehicles in three locations. It was working well in the Sandy Bay location, until a community member began removing the posts installed and directing visitors to drive around them.

In addition, camping has become the norm in Sandy Bay this summer. The Town does not acknowledge that they have jurisdiction to manage the shoreline, therefore the police can do little to stop this practice.

Councilor McKenzie, also of Oliphant, has said “everyone” in Oliphant wants these posts removed.

Please stand up and be counted, and let our Council know that there is a group of people who were happy that efforts were being made to reduce impact and protect our fragile environment by providing organization on our shores. They need to know that we are disappointed that they are backtracking. We expect them to join us in being stewards of the Oliphant coastline. We expect them to abide by their Strategic Plan's evironmental goals.

Join with us to demonstrate to the Town the need for conservation and order. Our petition will be conducted in a manner that can be verified and properly tabled to the Town. Please add you name below.