More than 200 demonstrators from across Innisfil descended on Queen’s Park today (May 28.)
Just before 11 a.m., the disgruntled residents landed at Queen’s Park to voice their displeasure over what many fear will be a soon-to-be-announced decision affecting the municipal boundary between Innisfil and Barrie.
While Mayor Brian Jackson and Simcoe County Warden Tony Guergis couldn’t convince Municipal Affairs Jim Watson to speak to either themselves or the audience, Simcoe York MPP Julia Munro tried to get Watson to comment on the future of Innisfil during Question Period. He deferred, saying a solution would be forthcoming.
Signs, placards and T-shirts denouncing a provincially-imposed solution to the festering boundary dispute were on display.
“I’m one of the fortunate people who live, and work in Innisfil,” said Wayne Ezekiel. “I just don’t think Barrie has provided any proper planning for growth in their area. Now, they want to move to another area. That would impact on our growth and development.
"The Town of Innisfil has recently been successful in attracting business and industry. The town and Mayor Brian Jackson have been working diligently for many years to develop a growth plan for Innisfil and for Simcoe County to compliment each other. Barrie is having its own set of challenges to even maintain the industries they have, let alone attract new ones. Solutions need to be worked out between the municipal governments.
"Legislation will hurt a lot of people and be unbalanced. The politicians at Queen’s Park don’t live here, so their (decision) won’t match our needs.”
For Nola Wale, the trip to Queen’s Park was “a great idea, but it’s too late. In my opinion, the decision was made long ago. The Liberals are delighted to kick the Conservatives. We can carry signs, placards, or donuts, but it doesn’t matter. Barrie will get what it wants. People really don’t have any power, we’re just making a small statement. But, still we keep trying.”
Isabel Donaldson penned a song on the bus ride to Toronto.
The lyrics, sung outside the Legislature several times, were:
“This land is your land,
This land is my land,
From Big Bay Point, to Innisfil Beach Road
From Georgian Downs, to the great Lake Simcoe,
Innisfil belongs to you and me.”
A press conference was held where Jackson said, “we are opposed to any arbitrated decision to change municipal boundaries that will have a long-term effect on Innisfil and Simcoe County.”
Jackson said such a ruling would represent “a poor political decision. In 2002, Premier McGuinty said the Liberals believed in local democracy and the best solutions are local solutions and that residents should have the right to decide the future of their municipality. We believe Premier McGuinty is honourable and a man who stands behind his principles. We are requesting a fair deal.”
Guergis said the county had been asked by the province to bring all of its member municipalities together to formulate an area growth plan.
“One municipality (Barrie) chose not to participate,” Guergis said. “We believe the province has become fixated on the one municipality that chose not to participate.
"Innisfil is a large, progressive municipality who had to vet their Official Plan to bring it in line with others. This proves to me they were a good negotiating team. Innisfil came to the table on every occasion prepared to negotiate for the greater good. I saw many times, Barrie, for different states of flux, unable to negotiate.
"We’re asking the province to insist Barrie come back to the table and bring forward realistic expectations as to where growth will go. There needs to be a level of accountability. We’re asking for a local solution.”
