Dear Whitewater Paddlers,
On behalf of GKC there is a possibility of loss of access to the regular put-in at the Elora Gorge. This is a very serious issue connected to a condominium development on private land in the town of Elora, Ontario.
The most important thing right now is to get everyone possible to submit a letter to the township planning coordinator. This will obligate them to inform all concerned citizens and stakeholders of any public meetings and allow our input before anything is finalized.
Guelph Kayak Club
Megan Grant
Planning Coordinator
1 MacDonald Square
Elora, Ontario
N0B1S0
mgrant@centrewellington.ca
2009 11 18
RE: Little Folks Secondary Plan Amendment
Dear Ms. Grant,
I have reviewed the Little Folks Secondary Plan (the Plan) for the application to amend the Official Plan and would appreciate being informed about any public meetings related to the Little Folks Secondary Plan and Official Plan Amendment.
There are two parts of this proposed plan that are troubling to me as a whitewater enthusiast, as a former president of Whitewater Ontario, and as President of Les Amis de la rivière Kipawa. Please forward the following concerns to the municipality for their consideration.
Firstly the issue of River Access as the Plan proposes to cut off the only access to the river at “the cove”; a trail that has been used by visitors and residents for decades.
I understand that the stated Goals and Objectives, are to:
2.2.3. “Provide a natural extension of the Elora Village commercial district”
2.2.5. “Embrace the natural environmental edges of the river bank, while accommodating pedestrian and visual access”
But in keeping with the Municipal Official Plan-Township of Centre Wellington, section 4.2.2, that “…redevelopment should retain the historic features of the site and address public access to the Grand River…,” the township will protect and negotiate a provision for continued use of a trail to access “the cove” before approving this Plan.
Secondly the matter of preserving recreational use of the river because, as mentioned in section 3.0, “...Reactivation of the abandoned waterpower generation facility along the south side of the Grand River is being investigated.”
The “Tooth of Time” waterfall is a major tourist attraction to Elora and water is already drawn out of the head pond away from the waterfalls to supply the Elora Mill waterpower generation facility. I object to the proposal to develop a second waterpower generation facility, which will reduce water flow over the “Tooth of Time” even more. I would like to be certain that the impacts associated with reactivating this power generation facility, and there affect on water levels and therefore, recreational activities, has been appropriately considered and mitigated.
Thank you for your serious consideration of these important issues, as they will greatly impact the entire community, including all residents and visitors of Elora.
Sincerely,
Peter Karwacki
Read About: Money and The Kipawa River, Whitewater Ontario,Les amis de la rivière Kipawa,The Proposed Tabaret River diversion project, Northern Ontario Liquid Adventurers,Canadian Rivers Network The viewpoints and opinions expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of Whitewater Ontario or Les Amis de la Riviere Kipawa. Those groups did not vet these comments and would not likely endorse the views expressed here or the manner in which they have been expressed.