
May 20, 2015 · 0 Comments
In regard to Mr McCrae’s comments of turning the Town of Mono into a Ward system, Mr. McCrae has noted the unusual multifaceted differences in our residential population which thankfully, John Creelman, as Reeve of Mono Township, some years ago, had the wisdom to turn Mono from a township into a town in order to avoid being annexed by the town of Orangeville.
Whether Mono would be better served in being divided into Wards, I’m not sure. I am inclined to agree with Councillor Sharon Martin in her approach to Mono being kept as a whole instead of being divided up into sections of wards.
Yet, Mr. McCrae has pointed out the very unusual residential issues facing Mono…that of being urban (subdivisions), to semi-rural (rural residential) to farmlands and forests. I would like to address these different issues here in my letter.
Some may remember my appeal to Mono Council in reconsidering the deer hunting by-laws in Mono Twp several years ago following the death of our good friend, Marianne Schmid, who was walking through the Simcoe County Forest on the first day of deer hunting season and who was shot through the abdomen by a hunter who did not see her, did not know what he was shooting at but heard a noise which he thought was a deer. Marianne, a mother and grandmother, died instantly.
At that time, Mono declined to change their by-laws in regard to deer hunting. Might I suggest that now, because of the increasing residential population in Mono, deer hunting by-laws should be reconsidered by council. Certainly, farmers whose livestock may be at risk, should have the use of licenced firearms at all times. As to culling the deer, might I suggest that the Dufferin Northern Peel Anglers & Hunters Association, (Blind Line & the 5 side road of Mono), take over this aspect of reducing the deer population in our area. Certain rural sections of Mono could be posted with signs warning residents that hunting is going on within a particular area to avoid trespassing during the culling/hunting season.
From my own experience in speaking to a number of landowners during my last application to council, the concern appeared to be more from disrespectful hunters and ‘outsiders’, one of whom was a woman who owned a farm in Caledon. When she asked a hunter to leave her property, he said: “I could shoot you right now, lady, and no-one would know who did it”.
With some informed consideration as to how deer hunting issues affect all who reside in Mono, new by-laws could protect both the urban and rural population of Mono. We are no longer simply rural residential and farmland as has been the case here in Mono for many years and as Mr. McCrae has pointed out in his letter to the Citizen last week. Dividing Mono into wards however makes me feel as though I’m living back in the city of Toronto.
Sandra Small Proudfoot,
The Farmer’s Walk, Mono
Members should be accountable
Howdy Folks. I recently saw on our local news where Wasaga Beach Council voted 5 – 2 to purchase over 13 million dollars worth of buildings and land on beach area 1 in Wasaga Beach. The news clip included an interview with Mayor Brian Smith who supported the motion and stated some of his hopes and plans for the development.
Following this there was an interview with Deputy Mayor Nina Bifolchi who opposed the motion and stated her concerns and fears at the Town becoming Landlords to the struggling bars and businesses.
Now in Mulmur Township, Council members Mills, Hayes and Hawkins believe that it is wrong for a member to state their opposing views. They believe this so strongly that they are regularly trying to convince the good folks of Mulmur that they are right. In fact they would have the member condemned and denounced, even impeached for such free and democratic thinking. Ratepayers have a right to hear the entire truth about both sides of the discussion.
In Mulmur, council members are spending tax dollars ($50,000 in admin legal fees in the 2015 budget) trying to defend their unjust decision of impeaching the former Deputy Mayor, and they are continually rationalizing their irrational actions. The point being that these 3 members of council did something very wrong, they did not allow an elected member to express her concerns in council decisions and they should acknowledge this, learn from it and resolve it in order to restore the democratic process.
It is wrong to think that this important matter should just go away, because these three members should be accountable to us all.
Old silver Pen
Jim Pendleton
Mulmur Township