South Bruce Peninsula Mayor Janice Jackson says there will be about 100 fewer parking spots at Sauble Beach this summer.
The Town of South Bruce Peninsula had planned to cut back a section of sand dunes which had encroached over time, in order to better accommodate parking and increase pedestrian safety.
That dune work has now been halted by a March 29th court order that revoked a permit the Town had obtained by the Grey Sauble Conservation Authority.
Jackson says, “Considering that these judges aren’t even going to release their reasoning for revoking the permit until the end of June, that pretty much eliminates this summer.”
The Town would have cut back dune sand, installed a concrete block retaining wall, contoured the dune from wall to peak, and removed trees and vegetation along 469 metres of Lakeshore Boulevard North.
The work was opposed by Saugeen Ojibway Nation, Friends of Sauble Beach, and Eco Justice among others.
Jackson says those parking spots will be blocked off completely, “If we were able to have parallel parking, we wouldn’t have even gone through this exercise. There still isn’t enough room for parallel parking there. People would be opening their doors right into oncoming traffic, so there’s simply no room to park safely.”
She adds, “We don’t know where we’re going to create any extra parking. We’ve pretty much tapped ourselves out.”
A release from the Town says it had been, “Granted a permit by the Grey Sauble Conservation Authority but subsequently, a Judicial Review of the permit was filed with the Court by Mr. Tom Laforme.”
Monday’s court decision revoked the Conservation Authority’s permit and a media release from the Town says it indicated the court is sending the request back to the Conservation Authority to reconsider.
Jackson says the ruling came this week in the interest of giving the Town time to do the work, (if approved, which it wasn’t) before the endangered piping plover birds return to the beach to nest.
The Town’s statement says, “We do not yet have any details on the decision to understand the reasons for sending it back to the Conservation Authority for their review, however the decision suggests that the panel was not unanimous.”
The court will give its reasons for the decision June 30th.
Saugeen Ojibway Nation (SON) has voiced its opposition to the work. Last November, the SON Environment Office sent a letter to the Town of South Bruce Peninsula, saying it had concerns noting, “The location in question (the waterfront along the shore of Lake Huron including from Lot 25 to the middle of Lot 31), is and always has been part of Saugeen First Nation Indian Reserve #29. The town is well aware of this fact. The fact that this land is Saugeen’s reserve land been confirmed by the Federal Government, which has previously advised project proponents that no activities can occur there unless you have obtained the consent of Saugeen First Nation to proceed with the activities.”
A protest with about 50 people was held last December on the day work had been slated to begin.
At that point, the Town of South Bruce Peninsula decided to temporarily halt the work after Eco Justice sent it a letter saying it planed to seek a court injunction against the dune cutting.
Jackson says the Town will eventually reapply to the Conservation Authority for a new permit for the work. She says there won’t be much more discussion on the issue until next winter, when she says council will decide how to approach the issue in 2022.
(This story has been updated to include the information that a media release from the Town says the court indicated it would make a request to the Conservation Authority to reconsider).
