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Oakville's 16 Mile Creek could get Greenbelt designation By Tim Foran OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF 19 · Friday, March 5, 2010 OAKVILLE BEAVER · www.oakvillebeaver.com Halton Regional council voted Wednesday to determine whether it is appropriate to ask the Province to expand the Greenbelt to include the Glenorchy Conservation Area and portions of the 16 Mile and Bronte creeks in Oakville's urban area. The study will not look at similar designations for portions of the Grindstone Creek, 16 Mile Creek and Credit River running through the designated urban areas of Burlington, Milton and Georgetown, respectively. The local councils governing those three municipalities have not asked the Region to investigate a Greenbelt designation for those waterways, a necessary first step to receiving Provincial approval. Oakville's Town council, on the other hand, voted in December to ask the Region to study the usefulness of a Greenbelt designation for the 1,000acre Glenorchy Conservation Area, a provincially-owned area straddling Highway 407 in north Oakville, which is managed by Conservation Halton. The Town also asked the Region to examine a similar designation for the 16 Mile Creek running between Highway 407 and Lake Ontario. At Wednesday's session, Halton council voted to expand that study to also look at a possible Greenbelt designation for Bronte Creek between the Bronte Provincial Park and Lake Ontario. "We're looking for every opportunity to enhance our protections," explained Oakville Regional Councillor Tom Adams. Both the Bronte and 16 Mile creeks in urban Oakville are considered external "river valley connections" to the Province's Greenbelt, a swath of 1.8 million acres of land acting as the de facto outside boundary to the urban portions of the GTA and Hamilton, from Stoney Creek in the west to Newcastle in the east. Halton will study whether those streams should instead be designated as part of the Greenbelt itself, rather than as external connections. According to the Province, a Greenbelt designation is stronger than the protections in municipal plans. "The proposed lands that are being considered are in a type of natural heritage system designation in municipal official plans. A municipal Official Plan may be subject to amendments and subsequent appeals to the Ontario Municipal Board," explained Andrea Kelly, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing. "Being part of the Greenbelt provides permanent protection and is subject to the highest review standard that comes with being a provincial plan." If the Province gave its approval, Oakville's Bronte and 16 Mile creek lands could be designated part of the Greenbelt's natural system with the creeks themselves becoming part of the "water resource" system. Other external river valley connections in Halton include: · the section of the Grindstone Creek south of Highway 403 in Aldershot, most of which is already protected as it's owned by the Royal Botanical Gardens, a Provincial agency. · the section of the Credit River generally within Georgetown's urban boundaries · the section of the 16 Mile Creek within Milton's urban boundaries It is the latter creek, from Derry to Britannia Roads and essentially between Regional Road 25 to Thompson Road South, that might be considered under the most pressure from urbanization. Major residential development adjacent to the creek is already underway in that section of fast growing Milton and will continue for most of the next 10 to 15 years, according to the Town's 1997 Official Plan and subsequent secondary plans. Milton Mayor Gord Krantz said the creek is protected by policies of Conservation Halton and the Province's Conservation Act. "It's already protected in my opinion, and very well protected," he said Wednesday morning. "It's (a Greenbelt designation) not necessary. It'd be a duplication as far as I'm concerned," he said. Halton Hills' Town council has also not debated pursuing a Greenbelt designation for the Credit River in Georgetown, said Mayor Rick Bonnette. "I don't have any opinion on it at this time," Bonnette said. "Nothing's driving it right now." Burlington Regional Councillor John Taylor said that city's council hasn't discussed a Greenbelt designation for the Grindstone Creek, but he's open to the idea. The City of Toronto recently made news when its council voted to do the same as Halton and study the appropriateness of a Greenbelt designation for two of its external river valley connections to the Greenbelt -- the Humber and Don rivers -- an item announced jointly by the City and Province as part of the fifth anniversary for the Greenbelt Plan. "I think layers of protection are very good," said Toronto Councillor Paula Fletcher, the lead spokesperson for the City's initiative. Fletcher acknowledged rivers and streams already receive a level of protection from both local Conservation authorities and municipal official plans. However, she said a Greenbelt designation is even stronger because it can't be overturned by local councils or the Ontario Municipal Board. "The only place to change anything is the Lieutenant Governor (on the recommendation of Provincial cabinet)," she explained. Toronto's study, however, will only look at a Greenbelt designation for ravine lands already owned by the City or the local Conservation Authority. It won't impact lands owned by the Province or private citizens or businesses. Halton's study sets out no such restrictions. One of the major landowners in the study area is the Province's Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, which owns both the Glenorchy Conservation Area and 219 acres of employment land straddling the 16 Mile Creek north of Dundas Street. The Town of Oakville is also another major owner as it owns parkland in the area. Halton's study would identify private ownership in the study area, though it noted ClubLink's Glen Abbey Golf Course would be one. CLEARANCE NOW $ KIMBERLY Recliner Factory Authorized THIS CLEARANCE EVENT HAPPENS ONLY TWICE A YEAR! SAVE 15%-50% OFF! 499 * La-Z-Boy Quality. Limited Quantities. It's our Factory Authorized Clearance and your chance to really clean up while we clear out. 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