The latest version of the Draft Official Plan is available on the CoKL’s website for review. You can get to the page by clicking here. In addition to the main document, you’ll find supporting “schedules” that provide detailed information, including many maps. The Plan includes a short section on “Special Policies for Sturgeon Point” (section 19.8, page 68). 

 The Official Plan will be legally adopted by the CoKL early in 2010 and establishes the city’s policies for development and land use for many years to come. The Official Plan development process is an open and transparent one (one hopes, anyways), and is subject to public input. There have been several hearings to accomodate this process and there will be at least one more, probably in January.

Anyone with an interest in the City’s affairs and how they might affect Sturgeon Point, including issues such as land zoning policies and the designation of  lands as environmentally sensitive or not, and many other related issues, would be strongly advised to take a look at the plan and attend the meetings.

A short article about the recent events in this process was published in the Lindsay Post in November. You can read it here. Updates on any further public hearings will be posted here as soon as they are announced by the CoKL.

There will be an all-candidates meeting on January 7th at 7:00 p.m. at the Bobcaygeon Legion. This will give everyone a chance to hear the candidates in  person. Although now format has been publicly announced yet, one can reasonably assume that there will be plenty of oppostunity to ask the candidates questions.

Remember, you can keep up to date on all things by-election right here on our By-Election page.

The latest newsletter provides important imformation about the upcoming by-election and the Official Plan. You can read it right now by clicking here. This is the last newsletter of the year, and we’re looking forward to another busy year in 2010. Happy Holidays!

The City is hosting meetings for public consultation on the Growth Plan Strategy and the Municipal Master Plan at two locations: The Coboconk Service Centre on December 9th and City Hall in Lindsay (Victoria Hall) on December 10th. There will be an open house starting at 4:00 p.m. at both locations, with the meeting starting at 7:00 p.m. You can read the details in the City’s Notice of Meeting.

The Growth Plan Strategy is ambitious: it provides a framework for growth in the City through to the year 2031. It deals directly with planned growth in the “urban” centres within the City: Lindsay, Bobcaygeon, Fenelon Falls and Omemee. The Plan will govern issues including infrastructure planning, transportation, waste management, urban form and natural heritage. While these issues clearly have an impact on the residents of the aforementioned urban areas, they will also affect those of us in the smaller communities (“hamlets”, to use the city planning jargon). Growth and waste management can have an impact on the local environment, including the quality of our lake water. And all of these issues are ultimately linked to our taxes.

If you are interested in these issues and have a chance to attend, please do so. These meetings are set up so that you can voice your concerns and opinions to protect your interests.

There are currently three candidates in the running for the Ward 7 by-election. They are Audrey Holden,  Brian Junkin, and Gail Thomassen. The deadline for nominations is Dec. 10, so we’ll let you know if anyone else throws their hat in the ring. 

Several members of the SPA board met with Brian and Gail to impress upon them the specific concerns of Sturgeon Point. Audry Holden will be coming to visit this coming week for a similar meeting.  

We’ve set up a By-Election page with links to the candidates’ information. We’ll keep this page updated with links to election-related news articles throughout the campaign.  You’ll also find a listing of important election dates.

Important: If you haven’t received a ballot in the mail by January 12 you need to contact the City By-Election Office.