Page 5 - July 27, 2017

Thursday, July 27, 2017 The Independent Of cial plan worries remain as vote looms
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Progressively Forward
Emery Huszka
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areas.
So county politicians formed a spe-
land from 55 to 120 years would add to the over supply of designated lands in Plympton-Wyoming; far above the 20 year supply of land required by the Provincial Policy Statement.”
The Independent
cial committee to go over all the pro- posed changes including a controver- sial request from Plympton-Wyoming to turn 800 acres of farm land into an area for future housing.
There are still a few concerns about Lambton County’s draft of cial plan but the warden is hopeful it will be ap- proved Aug. 2.
Weber expects that issue will be a hot topic on Aug. 2.
Lambton County planners have been updating the document which serves as a road map for development for the region for nearly six years now.
Lambton County Warden Bill Weber chaired what he hopes will be the nal meeting of that committee Monday.
Several municipalities also voiced concern about the Natural Heritage System which many fear will put extra restrictions on the use of farm land. Weber says the committee has made some changes to the Natural Heritage System, however he believes many people misunderstand that the guide- lines will only apply when there is new development and won’t change the current use of land.
During the rst round of consulta- tions, farm groups voiced concerns about how some of the plan would affect farms.
The group reviewed some of the comments sent in by municipalities in the last month.
Later, the county has faced stiff opposition from landowners over the increased number of wetland areas included in the draft plan. Members
of the Concerned Landowners Legal Defence worried they would lose the ability to farm the land or build near it.
While many communities voiced approval for the draft to move forward, the City of Sarnia again voiced its con- cern about Plympton-Wyoming’s plan for new residential development.
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It was later found the map from the Ministry of Natural Resources was inaccurate. But the CLLD still has a list of about 30 outstanding concerns including a map outlining agricultural
Alan Shaw, Sarnia’s planning direc- tor, wrote including the 800 acres of residential development area “would give Plympton-Wyoming a dispropor- tionately large share of the county’s new residential unit supply in com- parison to its share of development activity.
Weber hopes any concerns can be xed before the draft document is passed and sent to the province for ap- proval. “I would rather have a Lamb- ton County solution to address the concerns than a provincially mandated solution. I don’t believe the province will address our concerns as well as a Lambton County solution would.”
“Increasing the supply of residential
McGugan urges province to slow minimum wage hike
The Independent Staff
analyst and in order for them to make a pro t, the current price for an ordin- ary cheese burger with your choice
of soup or salad plus a non-alcoholic drink will have to rise from the current $8.95 to $10.95, effective January 1, 2019,” McGugan told the committee. “They are not sure they or the support- ive community can or will support this increase.
solution I really think is that they do a six per cent increase per year for ve years to get you to $15. I really believe society can do that.”
Brooke-Alvinston Mayor Don McGugan says rapid increases to the minimum wage will hurt businesses in his community and he’s urging the province to slow down.
The mayor added the impact of an in- creased minimum wage will not just be felt in the cost of goods, but in services delivered to the most vulnerable.
The provincial government wants to increase the current minimum wage of $11.40 to $15 in the next 18 months. McGugan recently appeared before the all-party committee reviewing Bill 148 when it was in London.
“This restaurant which just opened in Feb. 2016, may nd themselves in the position of having to cease operation thus depriving 15 part time and two full time employees their jobs.”
McGugan says one resident who em- ploys help for their special needs child says they will have to cut back on the hours they normally use to cover the cost of the increasing wages.
He told the MPPs while he agrees the minimum wage should be increased, hitting $15 in 18 months will be too much for some businesses to bear.
McGugan says the province should spread the increase over a longer time frame.
“I’d rather have my neighbours, both youth and adult, work with a minimum wage of $14 rather than have them wake up and have no job at all to go
He gave them the example of River- stone Pizza. The owners have esti- mated the wage increase will cost them $32,000 in the rst year and another $19,000 in the following year.
“I’m not opposed to minimum wage going up and I’m not opposed to people making the same amount of money for part time as full time if they do the same job,” he says. “The
to because the employer was unable to pay the proposed immediate increase in wages and had to close his busi- ness,” he told the committee.
“The owners consulted a nancial
The bill is expected to go to the On- tario Legislature this fall.
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Enbridge eases concerns, says it has a plan to improve Line 5
The Independent Staff
St. Clair Township Mayor Steve Ar- nold says his concerns about Enbridge’s Line 5 from Mackinac Island have been eased.
Arnold was one of the Lambton County politicians invited by Enbridge to a meeting July 22 to explain some of the issues facing the company as it deals with an aging underwater pipeline.
Recently, environmentalists in the United States and the mayor of Mack- inac Island voiced concerns about
the line which transfers crude oil into Sarnia’s plants. They are worried the aging pipeline could rupture or be hit by a ships anchor and break causing an environmental nightmare.
Lambton County poli cians and industry leaders met with Enbridge a er concerns were raised about the safety of Line 5.
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And there is concern there are not enough supports holding the pipeline since building standards have changed in the 60 years it has been pumping oil to Sarnia and beyond.
members of the Sarnia Lambton Indus- trial Alliance that the company has a plan to increase the number of supports for the pipeline. That plan still has to be approved by US of cials.
“I was very pleased to hear a lot of those things,” says Arnold who noted the pipeline is critical to local industry.
The Great Lakes Cities Initiative also voiced worries about the issue, asking Enbridge to clarify what is being done. Arnold says the company explained
They also outlined to the politicians how they can shut off the pipeline in a matter of nine minutes, limiting the environmental damage should a spill occur.
And while Arnold raised his concerns in public, Enbridge offered its explana- tion to the invited guests and did not invite local media.
to local politicians, labour leaders and
Arnold is hopeful the company will still come to Lambton County Council in the future to ease any concerns.