Another divisive issue at North Bay City Council last night and another motion for reconsideration — two of them, in fact.
A vocally opposed crowd at City Hall saw Council vote 8-2 on both motions pertaining to turtles considered a species at risk and, significant wetlands.
Several presenters spoke out against Council asking the province to relax laws designed to protect the ecological functions of the area.
One of the speakers, Yan Roberts, said after the meeting the packed Council Chambers is a testament to the “well-networked community that cares deeply…about these issues. These provincial legislations that we have to protect endangered species, that took a long time to get, we’ve had that for 10 years.”
Referring to the motions only being included in full Monday afternoon, leaving little time to prepare presentations, Roberts said, “The possibility that Council could, with one day’s notice, erase that for our city is shameful and embarrassing.”
https://youtu.be/iTlO7-8UcS8
According to the motion tabled by Councillor Mac Bain and seconded by Councillor Dave Mendicino, there is a provision to use portions of significant wetlands for development by rehabilitating wetlands downstream.
Trying to dispel fears among the citizens and his colleagues, Bain explains all the relevant planning and environmental groups are in the loop. “During the planning process, we circulate the proposal to a host of different government agencies. And always, we’ve been including the Ministry of Natural Resources and the North Bay-Mattawa Conservation Authority.”
The City of North Bay, therefore, has resolved, pending the motions of reconsideration in two weeks, to ask the provincial government to use wetlands for development if it can prove there will be “no negative impacts on the natural features or the ecological functions.”
https://youtu.be/jFFRm_dIAcM
