MUNICIPAL ZONING BYLAWS WHO’S ACTUALLY WRITING THEM

Question

2023 08 09

For the past few weeks, I have been going through a municipal zoning by-law. During this process I have been amazed and, well, to be honest, disgusted at what I have been finding. I cannot, for the life of me, understand how anyone, who cares for their fellow human being, can come up with some of the things put into these by-laws.

During this process, though, I have found that this one municipality isn’t the only municipality with the same by-law. The unlawful definitions are the same – to the extent that, in some instances, they are word for word. Then there are the dictates, of houses having to be built all the same distance from the centre-line, in the road, all for “aesthetic” purposes. This is not what zoning by-laws are for…

The next dictate - all rural properties are to be zoned agricultural without even understanding the property-tax implications of this dictate, which is regulated under the Municipal Act – not the Assessment Act (or in Ontario MPAC – and yes planners are supposed to know and understand the Mun. Act but most don’t). There is also the issue that there will be no severances or consents allowed as this is part of the failed plan to restrict all homes to the urban areas – not to protect farm land as they try to convince people of.

Dictate - shipping containers are not allowed – but if one has a farm – a person can have one; to use shipping containers to construct a home one must receive a special permit. Quite laughable really…

Dictate - all development must be high density in urban settlement areas and not in the rural areas. This is under the arbitrary mandates of someone somewhere who hasn’t a clue as to what it means to the mental health of people – nor the prosperity of the various municipalities and/or the residents of these communities.

It seems, from reading various zoning by-laws, that this is merely the cookie-cutter approach to planning. No rhyme or reason and most certain not law, either.

Unknown to many there have been a multitude of reports on how to govern the various provinces. These reports lay out that the rural areas should merely be allowed to die. The authors of these reports lay out that the small, rural communities cannot afford to have the qualified administrative staff and therefore services should be denied. We wonder why so many small schools have been shuttered not to mention the hospital emergency departments that are being closed. It seems way too much priority has been placed on those who can push paper which has led the various provinces and municipalities to become anti-productive.

So many of the administrative staff merely work to create paper – nothing that really contributes to the well-being of the residents or for the betterment of their communities. They impose their careless mandates all to the detriment of society and the rural culture. One merely has to read the report “Small, Rural and Remote Communities: An Anatomy of Risk” to see that “cancel culture” is the mandate of so many. Remember these reports were done by those involved with “MODELS OF GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE AT THE LOCAL LEVEL,” by Enid Slack, etc.,

“…The project is being carried out by the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC), working in conjunction with experts in academia, government and the non-governmental sector in both Canada and the Russian Federation.”

The problem with all of this is that these reports are authored by “urbanists” who do not understand the rural life-style. People move to the rural areas for a certain way of life or they have lived in their communities for generations. And yet, the authors who write these reports, and perhaps even the by-laws, do not have any real knowledge of rural life. That is why so many things are failing and that is why our country has gone from a democracy to a dictatorship (history repeating we just don’t know it) – we haven’t been paying attention nor are we becoming informed. We all need to be reading these reports and understanding that these reports are recommending the demise of an entire way of life.

All of this is up to you but suffice it to say – who actually is writing the by-laws we are dealing with? It shouldn’t/couldn’t be someone who is a local because if it is they are actually destroying, not only the people’s rights and life-styles, but their own. They aren’t doing anything outstanding – they are doing things they should be ashamed of – but maybe they don’t have the ability to know the difference.

It truly is really up to you and your elected officials, but ask yourself - do you want your way of life “gone” or do you want a way of life that is of your choice? Again – it’s up to you…it’s all there you merely have to read, become informed and stand up using your voices…the buck starts and ends, actually, with YOU…