I attended most of the OMB hearing conducted week of November 25 on the application to create a banquet facility to provide a wedding venue in an open country environment. In my most recent post I encouraged people to attend,if their schedules permitted, to both show support for the Stewards of the Moraine and to learn more about the legislative processes which regulate our world. It was wonderful that there were people who attended to show support. And indeed there was much to learn; at least I learned a great deal.

1st it was the opportunity to set aside the emotion and to listen to the arguments about land use. In our official plan we can define how land is to be used and what kind of activities will happen on it. When looking at applications is very easy to be influenced by a property owner who describes HOW he/she will run their proposed business; one needs to ask “how will it be run when you sell it to another?” (To clarify: for me this learning is not exclusively relevant to this application.) Given that we are now embarking on a review of our Official Plan the timing for thinking about this concept is good.

2nd it was an excellent refresher on what the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan(ORMCP) is about. Too often we end up focusing on what is not allowed, what can not be done. The ORMCP is not about “no.” Its objective is to  maintain, improve or restore the ecological and hydrological functions of the Moraine area. All the prohibitions and restrictions in the ORMCP are there because the prohibited activity would not meet these objectives; they are not there because change & development is not wanted. The right question is not whether a proposal will harm the ORM but rather will it maintain, improve or restore it.

As the ORMCP is up for review in 2015 this “refresher” is very timely; citizens, elected officials need to be very engaged in that review to ensure that the ORMCP is not watered down so that we are no longer protecting nor improving & restoring the ecological and hydrological functions of the Moraine.

The hearing concluded November 28th. The Chair, Sylvia Sutherland,heard strong arguments from all parties. We await her decision. If the Chair should rule that the proposed application is for an intended use as described in the ORMCP there will be another OMB hearing to address numerous technical aspects of the application.