Bluewater Shoreline Residents' Association

To BSRA's Contact People in the Cottage Subdivisions affected by Bluewater's Class Environmental Assessment and Preliminary Design for the Highway 21 Corridor Sewage Collection System: The Municipality of Bluewater has hired Dillon Consulting to move forward with the required Environmental Assessment and development of the preliminary design for the sewage collection system extending north from Port Blake to St. Joseph's.

Today I received the following email and request from Brent Kittmer, Bluewater's Utilities Manager:

"Throughout the EA process it is my intention to keep the BSRA and the individual subdivisions regularly informed of the project activities on a more frequent basis than the mass communications that will be sent to all affected residents. I’d like to have one representative from each affected subdivision receive more regular communication to ensure that they are properly informed when questions arise. The capacity and method of communication will be determined by the Steering Committee at the project initiation meeting, and presented at a council meeting afterwards.

Could you pass this message along to them and ask them to provide me with the contact information for their selected point individual using my contact info below. Email would be my preferred method of communication as it provides the simplest method of mass communication.

Brent Kittmer, Utilities Superintendent, Municipality of Bluewater

519-236-4351 ext. 221 (phone)

519-236-4329 (fax)

b.kittmer ( at> town.bluewater.on.ca"

This Bluewater project will have a significant impact on every resident in your subdivision and it is important that everyone have all the available information as the project moves forward. As soon as possible, please send Brent your subdivision's contact name and email address to ensure that your residents are kept informed. [Brent mentioned that he will be away for a week in March, so don't be surprised if your email to him generates an automatic reply. When he returns, he will let you know that your contact name is on the list.]

When you send the information to Brent, would you copy me as well please. In this way, we will know that all affected subdivisions will be receiving this information.

Thanks for your help with this. Jan Purvis, BSRA President

Subject: A reminder and opportunities to provide feedback - from BSRA

Sent: Thursday, February 25, 2010 1:56 PM

To our BSRA Contact People:

I have three reasons for contacting you just now.

1. Paul's Questionnaire on Email Addresses

I know that many of you have already replied to Paul Mennill’s questionnaire about BSRA’s use of our residents’ email addresses. If you haven’t acted on his request, please do so as soon as possible.

2. Source Water Protection

The draft assessment reports related to the protection of water sources in the Ausable Bayfield watershed were released earlier in the year. These reports describe the watershed area, its various sources of drinking water, the vulnerable areas that might become contaminated or depleted and the potential threats to this supply of drinking water.

To see these documents, go to www.sourcewaterinfo.on.ca and click on “assessment reports”.

If you are unable to attend the Open House scheduled for March 6^th in Grand Bend, you might consider registering to participate in an online meeting on March 6^th from 10:15 am to 12:00. Details about how to register are provided on the website. Comments are due before March 12, 2010.

3. Bluewater Facilities Review - Bayfield public washrooms, library, post-office to name a few

Last year the Municipality of Bluewater initiated a Facilities Review of all its buildings. The staff report regarding Bluewater’s Facilities will be outlined at a meeting being held on March 2^nd at 7:00 pm at the Stanley Complex in Varna. This meeting is open to the public.

Your help in making more shoreline residents aware of these opportunities for input is appreciated.

Thanks

Jan Purvis

BSRA President

Subject: BSRA presentation to Bluewater Council - Monday November 16, 2009 at 7 pm

Sent: Sunday, November 15, 2009 1:24 PM

To BSRA Contact People:

On Monday evening (November 16th) at 7:00 pm BSRA will be making its "Tax Inequity" presentation to the Bluewater Municipal Council. This takes place in the Council Chambers at the Varna Complex on Mill Road.

Having shoreline residents in the audience while this presentation is being made will emphasize to Bluewater Councillors that this is a significant issue.

Please remind and encourage your association members to attend.

Thanks for your help.

Jan Purvis

BSRA President

Subject: BSRA Contact email: Tax Inequity in Bluewater

Sent: Wednesday, November 04, 2009 9:56 AM

To BSRA Contact People:

As we all prepare to pay our final 2009 tax installment to Bluewater, we become acutely aware of our total annual tax payment to the Municipality. Are you also aware of the tax inequity situation in Bluewater?

BSRA has been tracking this inequity issue for several years and, on November 16^th, is making a presentation to the Bluewater Municipal Council about this discrepancy between the taxes paid by shoreline residents and the services received by the shoreline community. BSRA is also suggesting ways in which Bluewater can address this inequity in the provision of municipal services.

The attached summary outlines BSRA’s presentation to Bluewater Council. We are asking you, as your association’s contact person, to forward this message to your association members and to encourage them to demonstrate the shoreline’s interest in, and, support for, this issue by attending the Nov. 16^th meeting.

Date: Monday, November 16, 2009

Location: The Bluewater Municipal Complex on Mill Road, just west of Varna

Time: 7:00 pm

The BSRA Board will be there. Will you? Your presence will emphasize to Council the concern shoreline residents have regarding these inequities.

Thanks

Jan Purvis, BSRA President

purvisjd@execulink.com

519-663-2046

Subject: Update for BSRA Contacts-Annual Meeting Aug 23 and South Bluewater Sewers Aug 16

Sent: Sunday, August 10, 2008 1:19 PM

Hello BSRA Contact Persons! This is a reminder that the Bluewater Shoreline Residents' Association will hold our Annual General Meeting on Saturday August 23 at St. Peter's Church. The Church is located on highway 21 just north of St. Joseph. The meeting will begin at 10:00 a.m., and we hope to have coffee and refreshments available around 9:30 a.m. Come a little early and enjoy refreshments and conversation.

As usual, we hope for good attendance from all parts of the shoreline. We received positive feedback from our June meeting and would like to continue by having a good August meeting. While each subdivision is entitled to only one vote on business items, we would be happy to see more than one representative from each subdivision at our meetings. So invite one or two of your interested neighbours to come with you.

The agenda will include brief reports from the treasurer and other directors, a summary from the president, and the election of officers for 2008-2009. It will also include feedback and further discussion about the topics which BSRA members discussed at the June meeting (taxes, water quality, wind turbines, sewage treatment, shoreline regulation).

See you on Saturday the 23rd!

South Bluewater Sewers: BSRA believes, for the reasons presented at the public meeting August 9, 2007 in Hensall that sewers are good for our community. If your property is from St Joseph south please attend the drop-in information session 10 am to 1 pm, Saturday, August 16 2008 at the Dashwood Community Hall and provide your comments. The comments are important to the politicians. The notice and the comment form are attached. If everyone can't attend please encourage your association's members to submit as many forms as possible.

Paul Mennill, President
Bluewater Shoreline Residents' Association
519 238-1240

Subject: Update for BSRA Contact Persons
Sent: Wednesday, June 18, 2008 12:52 PM

Hello to all BSRA Contact Persons! This e-mail serves as a follow-up to our BSRA General Meeting of June 07 and as a "Call to Action" for our 2008 summer activities.

Thanks to all those who attended our General Meeting. As you will recall, we had vigorous and productive small group discussions on five important themes, and provided valuable written input to the Board. The discussion summaries have now been typed and Board members have begun to analyse the data in detail. Each of the following themes is being examined individually and there will be a report on them at the Annual General Meeting in August.
Property Assessments and Taxes
Water Quality in Bluewater
Large-Scale Wind Turbines
Sewage Treatment
Shoreline Regulation by ABCA and Bluewater.
For those subdivisions that were not represented at the June 7 meeting, we ask that you please select an individual from your subdivision who will be able to attend our Annual General Meeting on August 23 at St. Peter's Church (10:00 a.m.). We hope that every subdivision will be represented, and, by attending, will help us confirm the energy, the vigour, and the vision of our shoreline organization.

The Board currently believes that several issues demand commitment and immediate action. For example, we expect that our property assessments (and taxes) will continue their sky-rocketing increases now that the moratorium is about to end. We also believe that it is critically important to begin organizing now for the municipal elections of 2010. Further, we believe that our work on improving water quality in the ravines and in Lake Huron requires continued pressure and support.

Note that two upcoming meetings of the Bluewater Council will seek input from the community. On June 23, Council will hear input on a by-law on the use of All Terrain Vehicles (ATV's). On July 14, Council will receive presentations on a by-law affecting the future location of wind turbines in Bluewater. BSRA Board members will make presentations at these two meetings. If you would like to attend one or both of these meetings, either to show support through your attendance in the gallery or to make a personal presentation to Council, the meetings will take place at the Council Chambers just west of Varna at 7:00 p.m. on June 23 and July 14.

Please mark August 23 on your calendar for the BSRA Annual General Meeting (St. Peter's Church on highway 21, with coffee at 9:30 and meeting at 10:00 a.m.).

Sincerely,

Paul Mennill, President
Bluewater Shoreline Residents' Association
519 238-1240

Subject: Reminder: BSRA General Meeting June 7 in ZURICH - a meeting for input

Sent: Sunday, June 01, 2008 9:43 PM

Hello BSRA Contact Persons! This is a reminder that the Bluewater Shoreline Residents' Association will hold a General Meeting on Saturday June 7 at the ZURICH Community Centre (new arena). The Community Centre is located at the east end of Zurich just south the the main highway (Zurich-Hensall Line). The meeting will begin at 10:00 a.m., and we hope to have coffee and refreshments available by 9:30 a.m. Come a little early and enjoy refreshments and conversation.

We hope for good attendance from all parts of the shoreline. While each subdivision is entitled to only one vote on business items, we would be happy to see more than one representative from each subdivision at this meeting. So invite one or two of your interested neighbours to come with you.

The format of the meeting will be a little different from usual. The "regular business" portion of the agenda will be minimized. During an expanded "input session", the Board will seek a sampling of opinion from shoreline residents on topics such as taxation, assessment, sewage treatment, shoreline regulations, wind turbines, and water quality. Each resident will be asked to join a discussion group on one topic, and each group will then provide a report back to the whole group. These opinion samples will serve as input to the Board as we formulate future BSRA initiatives.

See you Saturday!

Paul Mennill, President
Bluewater Shoreline Residents' Association
519 238-1240

Subject: News from BSRA

Sent: Saturday, May 03, 2008 9:12 AM

Greetings to all BSRA contact persons! Our busy season is now upon us, as migrating birds pass through the Bluewater flyway, and as spring weather brings our human inhabitants into the sun! I trust you had a good winter, and that you are still committed to helping BSRA advance the causes of shoreline residents.

Our next newsletter will be delivered to your subdivision distributor on May 10 or 11. We ask that it be delivered to each household as quickly as possible and no later than May 23. From our perspective, the distribution of the newsletter is a vital task in holding our community together, and we offer many thanks to those who deliver it on our behalf.

The newsletter will outline the Beach Cleanup planned for May 24, and the Large Garbage Collection, planned for June 3. It will also ask lakeshore residents to support the WRAFT/CAPTR petition on property tax assessment.

Please NOTE CAREFULLY that, due to some construction problems at our usual meeting place, the location of our Spring General Meeting has been changed. The meeting will take place at 10:00 a.m. on June 7th at the Zurich Community Centre (15 East Street in Zurich). Come at 9:30 to enjoy coffee and conversation before the meeting begins. The structure of the actual meeting will be more interactive than usual, as the Board will be seeking input from the members on a variety of issues.

As you plan your subdivision's annual meeting, you may want to consider inviting one of the BSRA Board members to attend. We will be happy to discuss issues of current concern along the Lakeshore. My address and number are on this message.

You might be interested in checking out a new mapping facility. Go to the Huron County website, www.huroncounty.ca, click on E-services then on GIS (Mapping). This is a remarkable new facility.

Sincerely,

Paul Mennill, President
Bluewater Shoreline Residents' Association
519 238-1240

Subject: Spring News for BSRA Contact Persons

Sent: Friday, April 27, 2007 10:59 PM

Hello to all contact persons for the Bluewater Shoreline Residents' Association! I trust you are enjoying the spring weather, and that you are either here on the lakeshore or wishing that you were. I have five pieces of news that may become important as you plan your community activities for the spring.

1. On the weekend of May 12-13, you can expect the BSRA spring newsletter to be delivered to the person in your subdivision who delivers the newsletters to your households. You will also find in that package a notice from Bluewater Municipality stating that the date for our "Large Household Garbage Pickup" will be June 5, 2007.

2. BSRA will sponsor the "First Annual BSRA Beach Cleanup" on Saturday May 26. Your community will be asked to set up a team of 2-4 persons who will pick up the necessary equipment at the Stanley Pavilion (west end of Pavilion Road) between 8:00 and 8:30 a.m., conduct a beach cleanup during the morning, and return to the Stanley Pavilion for a luncheon/social from 12:30 to 2:00 p.m.

3. Remember that BSRA Board members are prepared to attend your community's annual meeting if you would like to invite us. We can speak to your membership on current issues at that time.You can contact me or any Board member to make arrangements. The Board members are listed on our website at www.bsra.ca.

4. BSRA has undertaken a campaign for membership revitalisation. We would like to recruit shoreline residents who are professionals or experts in their field and are prepared to donate to BSRA 5 to 10 hours of time per year summarizing research, conducting special studies in their field, or discussing the details of current issues with Board members. Please give the names of anyone who might be helpful to us as we pursue BSRA issues in depth. See our website at www.bsra.ca.

5. The BSRA Board has supported the position of WRAFT (Waterfront Ratepayers After Fair Taxation) for several years. Currently, we believe that WRAFT is making significant progress provincially. Please find a copy of their April Report to Members in the attachment to this e-mail.

All the best for Spring 2007!

Paul Mennill, President

Bluewater Shoreline Residents' Association

Subject: Update from BSRA: Buying Capacity in the Grand Bend Sewer Project

Sent: Wednesday, June 27, 2007 7:58 PM

This message is directed to the BSRA Contact Persons for shoreline subdivisions between St. Joseph and Port Blake.

At our General Meeting of June 02, we were first advised that decisions may soon be made regarding the final design of the Grand Bend sewer project and the purchase of capacity for the lakeshore (St. Josephs to Highlands 1) and Dashwood areas to hook up to the system in the future. I have now been informed that the decision to reserve capacity in the Grand Bend system will have to be made by mid-August, 2007. BSRA has taken the position that it is important that Bluewater Municipality undertakes a process to consult with lakeshore residents to determine the level of property owner interest in joining this project. Hay West Councillor Bill MacDougall has also taken a strong stance that the residents must be consulted. At the present moment, we have not been told how the consultative process might take place. However, it is likely that there will be a community meeting sometime in the next short while. Watch for it. We would hope for a good turnout if a community meeting is called.

There are many complicated issues involved in this project, and we are suggesting that Bluewater Municipality has a responsibility to lay these out clearly for the residents so that people are well informed and so that Council can benefit from the input of residents and can make good decisions on the sewer project. At the present moment, we are awaiting word from the Municipality on how it will proceed. On June 25, Bluewater Council decided to make this a topic for their regular Council meeting on July 9. In the meantime, it seems advisable that lakeshore residents quickly learn about and discuss the issues. It would also be good for representatives to attend the July 9 meeting in Council chambers in Varna. The agenda should be available on the Bluewater website.

It is my understanding that there are two phases to this project - one is immediate, and the other is long-term. The immediate phase is for each of the 3 municipalities who are involved, Lambton Shores, South Huron, and Bluewater, to agree on the size and configuration of the new sewage treatment facility in Grand Bend. In order to reserve future capacity in the plant, Bluewater will have to "purchase capacity" NOW. If Bluewater does buy capacity now, then sometime in the next 10 or 20 years, south Bluewater will be able to hook up to the system. If Bluewater does not buy capacity now, then the shoreline residents and new developments will have to remain on septic systems for many years.

The cost of buying capacity I have been told is approximately $2 million. The extent to which this cost would be borne by the Province, the Municipality, and/or the property owners needs to be clarified.

The cost of hooking up to the system in 10 or 20 years will presumably be borne by every property owner at the time of hookup. There will probably be options provided so that these costs could be amortized over the long run at reasonable interest rates. The cost per property may approximate the cost of installing a new septic system.

There are many issues, pro and con, for discussion. Check the BSRA website (www.bsra.ca) to see a few of these issues. It is beyond the scope of this e-mail at the present time to lay out all the issues. But BSRA does suggest that you prepare your subdivision for a full discussion of this project within the next 3 or 4 weeks.

Paul Mennill, President

Bluewater Shoreline Residents' Association

Subject: From BSRA: Update on Grand Bend Sewage Treatment Facility
Sent: Thursday, July 26, 2007 3:05 PM

This e-mail, sent to BSRA Contact Persons for shoreline subdivisions between St. Joseph and Port Blake, is a followup to my earlier e-mail of June 27. Bluewater Municipality has now issued a notice of a public meeting regarding shoreline (and Dashwood) participation in the Grand Bend Sewage Treatment Facility. The notice was sent by mail last week to all ratepayers in the affected areas.

The public meeting will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday August 04 at the Hensall Recreation Complex. The complex is located at 157 Oxford Street near the south-west corner of Hensall. (From highway 84 - King Street - turn south on Brock Street, go two blocks south to Oxford St. and turn right to see the complex)

A few days after this public meeting, Bluewater Council will make a final decision whether Bluewater should purchase capacity for a future hook-up to the new Grand Bend Sewage Treatment Facility. Council will judge the importance of this decision, at least partly, on the amount of interest shown by the affected property owners. Therefore, we think it is very important that the turnout of shoreline residents at this meeting will be large.

The decision to join or not to join the Grand Bend sewer project is one of the most significant decisions that can be made for the affected area (St. Joseph to Port Blake). It could potentially affect every property owner in one way or another. That is why we are encouraging residents to attend and to make your views known. If our attendance is good, Council will learn that lakeshore property owners do have strong concerns, as well as a commitment to helping Council make the best decision for us. As electors, we can help our councillors to be accountable.

We request that you, as BSRA Contact Persons, make a strong attempt to encourage the people in your subdivision to come to the Hensall meeting on August 04. I know that some subdivisions are now developing car-pool arrangements for that morning, and that seems like a good idea.

We have learned that some residents who will be out of town on August 4 are sending letters and e-mails to Bluewater Council ahead of the meeting. This is an alternative way to express your views on the issue.

Please check our website at www.bsra.com where you can learn about some of the issues connected with this decision.

Paul Mennill
President, BSRA
519 238-1240