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Site Alteration and Tree Preservation By-laws

Final drafts of the by-laws will be presented to Council for adoption on January 17, 2024



Read the Final Draft By-laws:
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Final Draft By-laws

The final draft Site Alteration and final draft Tree Preservation by-laws have been prepared to reflect feedback gathered through the first and second rounds of public engagement. Following Council’s direction at the December Council meeting the by-laws are now being presented for adoption at the upcoming January Council meeting.  

For additional information, please see the Memo presented to Council by J.L. Richards on December 12, 2024 linked below, as well as the final draft by-laws:

Background

Need for a Site Alteration By-law and Tree Preservation By-law

The Township of The Archipelago is situated in the middle of the Georgian Bay Biosphere Reserve, designated as a world biosphere reserve by UNESCO. It is comprised of many islands in Georgian Bay and a number of inland, freshwater lakes, all of which are used for recreational purposes. The impetus for creating the Township originated from a strong desire by its inhabitants and the Province to preserve the natural environmental and recreational land use in the area. 

The shoreline of the Georgian Bay in the Township, the numerous islands, and inland lakes provide a highly desirable recreational waterfront community. A significant contribution to the high level of appeal of the shoreline, island areas, and inland lakes of the Township is generated by the Crown land base that, for the most part, remains in its natural state.

The Township’s existing regulatory framework contains a comprehensive set of policies regarding landscape and waterscape alteration. These policies encourage the conservation of the overall natural landscape and waterscape to preserve the natural appearance, character, and aesthetics of the Township. They also encourage development to conform to the natural environment as opposed to the natural environment being altered to accommodate development, as reflected in the Township’s Strategic Plan (2022-2026). 


Protect & Preserve

Sustainable & Cost-Effective Services

Effective Relationships & Partnerships

Leadership & Communications


In early 2021, Council directed staff to proceed with the development of a draft Site Alteration By-law, and to provide further information with respect to the costs of the administration and enforcement of the by-law. This direction was given, in part, due to recent development within the Township which proceeded without the benefit of full federal, provincial, and municipal approval. On this basis, the Township would like to enact a Site Alteration By-law and a Tree Preservation By-law to provide itself with additional regulatory tools to realize Council’s strategic priorities for the Township. 

If adopted, the Site Alteration By-law and Tree-Preservation By-law will provide an additional layer of protection for the natural environment, over and above the minimum requirements for development as per the Township’s Official Plan and Zoning By-law, and an additional tool for the Township to ensure that development occurs in a way that is sensitive to and respectful of environmental features that make the Archipelago a great place to live, work, and play. 

See below for links to previous presentations made to Township Council over the span of this project:

Public Engagement & Report

August 2024 Open Houses

The draft Site Alteration & Tree Preservation By-laws were revised to reflect public feedback gathered through engagement activities held over the course of Winter 2024. Following Council’s direction to proceed with an additional round of public engagement on the revised draft by-laws, the Township hosted a virtual Open House and an in-person Open House in August. The sessions provided the public with an update as to how their feedback has been incorporated into the revised draft by-laws and gave participants an opportunity to ask questions and provide their input.

A recording of the August 22, 2024 virtual Open House is available below:

A report was prepared by J.L. Richards  to provide a summary of the key themes arising from this most recent round of public engagement and to seek Council’s direction in advancing this project. Please see a link to the report below:

Council provided staff with direction to proceed with the draft Site Alteration and Tree Preservation By-laws as resolved in the October 18th, 2024 Council Meeting Minutes:

January 2024 Open Houses

As an integral part of this process, the Township and its consultants hosted a virtual Open House and an in-person Open House in January 2024 to update the public as to the process and to give participants an opportunity to provide input on the draft Site Alteration and draft Tree Preservation By-laws. 

A recording of the January 30, 2024 virtual Open House is available below:

Public Feedback Report

Following a public engagement phase including a survey and open houses between December 2023 and February 2024, J.L. Richards prepared a report containing a summary of the public feedback received and recommended next steps, which was presented to Council on March 22, 2024. A copy of the report and slideshow that were presented are available below for the public to review:

Resources

Contact

If you have any questions or comments about this project, please contact:

Cale Henderson
Manager of Development and Environmental Services
Township of The Archipelago
chenderson@thearchipelago.ca
(705) 746-4243 ext. 305

or

Rebecca Elphick
Consultant Planner
J.L. Richards & Associates
relphick@jlrichards.ca
(343) 803-4095