Friends,
First off, thank you to all our new subscribers who have recently joined the PWEP mailing list through our website! It's exciting and encouraging to see our group grow in such numbers. Participation from the community is what gives meaning and energy to grassroots organizations like ours, and we believe that together we really can achieve a great deal in the way of protecting the environment of Inverhuron.
Today we'd like to update you on the status of PWEP's ongoing projects:
1) The judicial review launched by PWEP (see press statement) against the Tidman development proposal is underway, and we are now expecting the court hearing to take place this fall. The outcome will set a critical precedent for future development in Inverhuron, which is why we are putting so much effort into this case.
We are excited to announce that we are in the process of partnering on this project with an organization that specializes in providing expert support to nascent grassroots organizations. Thanks to this partnership we will soon be able to accept much needed donations, which will be allocated mostly toward the legal fees we are incurring with the judicial review. We are making every dollar count, keeping costs as low as possible and relying on the hard work of our incredible volunteers, but we are also counting on support from the community. More on this soon.
2) A heavy blow was dealt to the Sundance development proposal in the form of a recent environmental peer review commissioned by Bruce County (see attached document). This review is in response to a previously prepared Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) commissioned by the developer, and identifies a number of substantial issues that need to be addressed before the development can move forward. The peer review therefore recommends that the planning authorities defer their decision on whether to approve the project until all the concerns have been satisfactorily addressed. This represents at the very least a substantial delay, possibly even a deal breaker.
3) The municipality of Kincardine has proposed a draft Community Improvement Plan (CIP). While PWEP recognizes that the CIP contains many valuable and positive programs, we are concerned that some aspects of the Plan may encourage additional large-scale development proposals in Inverhuron. This is why PWEP submitted a letter to the municipal council outlining our concerns (see attached
document). Council approved the CIP at the public meeting this past Wednesday the 14th of February, but we will continue to engage with the municipality on our points of concern.
Thank you for sticking with us, we're grateful for all your interest and support.
The Team @ PWEP
The Philosopher’s Wool Environmental Preserve
2 Alma Street
Tiverton, ON
Respectfully acknowledging that we live, work and benefit from the Lands and Waters of the Saugeen Ojibway Nation.
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