(Jed Tallo/GazetteStaff)
I am writing to express my concern regarding the Picton Terminals negotiations. It is always concerning when negotiations are held in secret on what should be a public matter – especially when dealing with a rogue player that tends to thumb its nose at any attempt to make it abide by existing provincial regulations as well as municipal bylaws.
The track record of the Picton Terminals corporation thus far seems to be a litany of ignoring the existing laws and doing what it wants with impunity. How one can enter into a negotiated agreement with a company that has shown so little respect for the County of Prince Edward and for the law of the land is something that I cannot understand.
Council, which is supposed to represent the interests of the citizens of the County and which is tasked with upholding law and order, seems to have lost its moral compass. It appears to be prepared to allow a private corporation to act above the law – all to avoid litigation and supposedly save some money.
I would suggest that this short-sighted approach will in fact end up costing a great deal more in the end. There are many developers and corporations with equally deep pockets who will be watching how Council deals with this case of bylaw avoidance and non-compliance. Once they see that the Council’s resolve can be broken, the flood gates will open – not just in Picton harbour but across the whole County.
Council needs to stay the course with the suit that was launched on the advice of legal counsel. While we cannot control the waters, we do have say over the land. Picton Terminals is not a port by any legal definition. It is merely a private business and, as such, needs to come under appropriate regulations as any other business operating in the County must.
For the sake of a healthy future for what we call home, please stop the negotiations and pursue the appropriate legal course in this case. The precedent that you are creating has the potential to hamstring any future Council and destroy the County.
Andrew Janikowski, Picton
On June 19, Hilden Homes presented to Council its proposal to put 85 units of housing on 5.5 acres of valuable and biodiverse natural habitat between Fawcettville and the Millennium Trail. It described the property as an “underutilized and undeveloped,” and the proposed homes as “compatible with the existing neighbourhood.”
The residents of that neighbourhood and their many supporters disagree. A petition against the proposal, launched on June 18, has reached, as of this writing, 412 signatures. That petition states many species of animals have already been displaced by new subdivisions, which pave over natural habitat on “underutilized” acreage, including bats, which help control mosquitos, and opossums, which help control ticks. Never mind all the valuable trees.
By what standard can this development be considered “compatible with the existing neighbourhood?” Above all, how can it be considered in alignment with the County’s Official Plan or its Destination Development Strategy, both of which highlight the importance of factoring the climate crisis into development decisions, of protecting natural assets from overuse, and of creating a path to economic prosperity that values both human and environmental well being?
The Hilden Homes proposal fails to meet any goals for affordable housing, and clearly threatens to disrupt the basic securities of current Fawcettville residents.
Renia Tyminski, Picton
71 years ago, on July 1, 1953, a small group of aviation enthusiasts from Picton applied for an operating certificate for a flying club and membership in the Royal Canadian Flying Clubs Association. They were recent veterans of the R.C.A.F, army personnel, or local citizens. The Prince Edward Flying Club began modestly at the airbase in Picton, the former No. 31 Bombing and Gunnery School (part of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan). Hurriedly built in 1940, the base and was part of a massive nationwide operation to train aircrew for the allied forces.
The new flying club bought one small, used airplane and then another. A lot of people came to Picton to learn to fly. The federal government subsidized the training. More aircraft were acquired and instructors and mechanics hired. Between the 1950s and 1980s, close to one thousand pilots were trained at the club. Private pilots were certified and commercial pilots created, who ultimately moved on to the airlines.
Over the years the Prince Edward Flying Club has been a welcoming spot. One popular annual event was our Fathers Day fly-in breakfast, with usually 50 or 60 airplanes arriving from all over Southern Ontario.
You have read about the birth, now comes the end.
Unfortunately, this year’s Fly-In Breakfast had to be cancelled as the concrete runways are in the process of being destroyed to make way for a commercial and housing complex. Airplane owners have moved to other locations. The Club had its last official gathering last week. Safe flight, bon voyage.
Terry Clifton, Picton
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