Communications Coordinators meeting

The 2025 annual meeting of the ACLA Communications Coordinators and designated alternates commenced at 09:05 on Saturday May 03 in the Kingsbridge Centre basement. It was also available via Zoom, for representatives who were unable to attend in person. The recording is here. The passcode is

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Introductions

Invited guests:

• Ashfield-Colborne-Wawanosh Township: Glen McNeil, Tom McCarthy
• Maitland Valley Conservation Authority: Phil Beard, Patrick Huber-Kidby
• Ministry of Environment, Conservation, and Parks: Ted Briggs

Communications Coordinators and designated alternates:

• Represented: Amberley Beach, Amberley Beach South, Ashfield Beach North, Ashfield Beach South, Cedar Grove, Green Acres Cove, Horizon View Estates, Hunters Beach, Huron Sands, Kintail Beach, Mid Huron Beach, Shamrock Beach, Sunset Beach, Victoria Beach
• Not represented: Birch Beach, Brindley Beach, Bogie's Beach, Buchanan's Beach, Goat Trail, Huron Sands North, Huron Shores, Lakeland Estates, Linfield Beach, Kingsbridge Shores, Maple Grove, Menesetung Park, Port Albert

Healthy Lake Huron

Ted Briggs, Great Lakes Advisor, MOECP

• Ontario's Healthy Lake Huron – Clean Water, Clean Beaches program began in 2010, motivated in part by previous work of the ACLA, Bayfield, and Bluewater lakefront groups to reduce pollution-causing soil erosion and agricultural runoff into the lake.
• HLH is a partnership that addresses shoreline water-quality concerns and promotes safe clean beaches from Sarnia to Tobermory. It is led jointly by the Ministry of Environment, Conservation, and Parks and the Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Agri-Business. Many others also participate, including Fisheries and Oceans, Natural Resorces, Public Health units, first-nations groups, and environmental associations.
• HLH has a number of priority "improvement demonstration" projects. The project in our area is the Garvey-Glenn watershed, led by MVCA.
• HLH is again returning to a more active state after various disruptions due to Covid, a change in government, changes in staff, and changes in funding. The terms of reference are being revised, a new work plan is being developed, and a newsletter will be issued soon about new key-area activities. Please see the HLH website for the latest information.

Maitland Valley Conservation Authority

Patrick Huber-Kidby, Planning and Regulations Supervisor

The federally-funded Southern Lake Huron Adaptation Action Plan seeks to pilot several efforts toward coastal resiliency:

• develop guidance for local development policies using up-to-date shoreline knowledge (sediment budget, hazard mapping, and risk assessments);
• develop guidance that local municipalities can access when infrastructure or buildings are threatened by coastal processes;
• pilot nature-based solutions through sediment bypass at Goderich, connecting beach-building sediments across the shoreline, including the possibility of adding underwater rock structures about 50 metres offshore to disrupt wave energy (currently under study).

Phil Beard, General Manager and Secretary/Treasurer

We have some of the best agricultural land in Canada in the watershed within the Maitland area of jurisdiction. We have some of the finest hardwood forests in Ontario. The Maitland River is one of the best small-mouth bass rivers in SW Ontario. Lake Huron provides us with incredible sunsets, beaches, and recreation. We have great people who are proud of their communities and invest time and money to make them better places to live.

• Our Mission is providing leadership to protect, and enhance local water, forests and soil. Our "Healthy Lake Huron" work began in the Garvey-Glenn, and is expanding to include all the North Shore watersheds (from Port Albert to Amberley) and the 18-Mile subwatershed.
• The focus is to keep soil on the land and out of the water. There are 1,300 km of streams that need to be buffered, and 16,000 acres of flood-plain land in the MVCA watershed that need to be restored. A lot of that is sub-prime land that was cleared for agricultural use.
• In the North Shores watershed this past year, we and participating landowners completed 11 flood-plain restoration projects. There were 3,700 trees and shrubs planted, 0.6 km of streams buffered, 3 km of windbreaks planted, and 2.5 acres of floodplain restored. The cost was $53.2 ... $26.5K from MECP, $15.9K from Huron County, $5K from the Maitland Conservation Foundation (donated by ACLA), and the rest from the landowners, who helped with tree planting and site preparation.
• With provincial funding, we were also able to support 1,300 acres of cover-crop projects.
• There are additional projects totalling $500,000 that landowners want to undertake, if sufficient funding were available. We are awaiting confirmation of funding requests before doing a targetted mailout to specific North Shore and 18-Mile landowners.

ACW Township

Glen McNeil, Mayor

Glen began by stressing the importance that ACW places on lines of communication with the cottage communities.

• For the 2025 budget, Council approved a 2.75% increase in the tax rate, resulting in a 5% increase in the total Township levy.
• Each year, Council attempts to improve at least one lakefront road. This year, Huron Sand Road will be resurfaced.
• ACW has recently been designated as one of the province's Strong Mayors municipalities. ACW has sent a letter to the province asking that its designation be removed, stating that it undermines the principles of democratic accountability and transparency.
• The recently-formed Short-Term Rental committee has been working since last Fall to develop a proposal to Council for a regulation governing the registration and operation of properties as short-term rental businesses. A draft is expected by November, and will be made available for public consultation after it has been received by Council.
• In the 2022 municipal election, the Mayor, Deputy Mayor, and the five Councillors were all elected "at large". Council has received a petition asking for the creation of five electoral districts, with one Councillor to be elected from each, starting with the 2026 municipal election:
  1. Ashfield West -- Ashfield ward on the west side of Highway 21
  2. Ashfield East —- the rest of Ashfield ward
  3. Colborne West —- Colborne ward on the west side of Highway 21
  4. Colborne East —- the rest of Colborne ward
  5. Wawanosh -- the existing ward boundaries
  The petition argues that this will provide better representaion for ACW's distinct "communities of interest". Council will be discussing the petition at its May 6 meeting.

Tom McCarthy, Public Works Superintendent

• ACW's new five-year contract with Waste Management is now in effect. The schedule for pickups remains unchanged.
• In 2023, ACLA requested that ACW extend the June-September weekly lakefront garbage/recycling pickups to include May and October. ACW agreed to consider this when developing its 2025 budget, in conjunction with revisions to its contract with Waste Management. To date, ACW has not yet received a cost from Waste Management, due to complications Waste Management is having in finalizing the contract with the entity responsible for province-wide recycling under the province's changes in recycling responsibilities.
• At some time in 2026 still to be determined, garbage and recycling pickups will shift from bags (free for recycling, and $2.50 for garbage-bag tags) to WM-provided wheeled carts. Tags for garbage will no longer be required. The carts for recycling and for garbage come in 64- and 32-gallon sizes (you will get to choose).
• The carts are not practical for the lakefront sideroads that are currently serviced by tranfer-point locations. Instead, locked "dumpster" bins will be provided for garbage and recycling bags at appropriate intersections. A key will be given to each property owner on those streets.
• All lakefront areas will be reviewed to determine locations where dumpsters will be required, based on the maneuverability of the front-end-loading trucks for the dumpsters and the side-loading trucks for the carts.
• The revenue formerly from garbage-bag tags will be replaced by a surcharge on the tax bill. There will be an opt-out opportunity. If a curbside-service owner opts out, they won't be given a garbage cart and a recycling cart. For a dumpster-service owner, they won't be given a key.

ACLA administrative matters

Treasurer's report

Beth Ross, Mid-Huron Beach

• bank balance as of May 2, 2024: $6,900.55
• Income:
  • member contributions: $550
  • bank interest: $1.46
• Expenses:
  • donation to support MVCA programs for improvement of lakeshore water quality: $5,000
  • rental fee for the Kingsbridge Centre basement: $200
  • annual website-hosting and domain-registration fees: $148.82
  • bank charges: $26.75
• bank balance as of April 30, 2025: $2,076.44

Motion to accept the Treasurer's report moved by Charles Waud (Amberley Beach), seconded by Sandra Paisley (Cedar Grove). Passed.

Voluntary contributions to program funding

ACLA's programs are funded by annual contributions from the participating lakefront associations (we suggest $10 per each member of your association). It is not a requirement for membership in ACLA, but it is most certainly appreciated. It helps to demonstrate that the lakefront communities are stakeholders in the well-being of our environment.

If your association wishes to contribute for the 2025-2026 season, you may do so by direct "Interac e-Transfer" to aclatreasurer@hurontel.on.ca, or by cheque payable to "ACLA" mailed to

Beth Ross, ACLA Treasurer
122 St. Patrick Street
Goderich ON, N7A 2L7

Issues from the floor

1. Some present at the meeting believe that the adoption by ACW of the recently-proposed community-of-interest electoral districts will increase the opportunity for lakefront representation on Council. Others believe that the at-large system is best because it gives every elector the ability to vote for every member of Council. Others stated that, no matter the approach, every member elected to Council becomes responsible for representing the needs of all of the people in ACW.
2. ACW should not be expecting cottagers to read the agenda packages for Council meetings in order to be aware of upcoming matters that may be of concern to them. Those agendas are published only a few days before a Council meeting, which does not leave sufficient time for seasonal cottagers to have discussions with each other about their concerns and organize presentations to Council. We need more effective well-in-advance lines of communication from ACW to the lakefront communities.
3. ACW should update the dollar-value eligiblity in its Unassumed Roads granting policy. Costs have risen significantly since the policy was adopted.

Adjourn

The meeting adjourned at 11:15. Next year's meeting will be at 9am on Saturday May 9, 2026; method and location TBD.