Lakefront owners across Lac La Biche County amassed at the Bold Center last Thursday to share their concerns with the county's soon to be drafted Environmental Reserve bylaw.
Lac La Biche County officials held an open house from 5 - 8 p.m. at the Bold Center's Devon Room for residents to voice their concerns and find out more information about the bylaw and how it will affect properties around the municipality.
At 5 p.m. the lineup of residents was already out the door.
The response to the meeting was something that municipal officials were pleased with.
"We’re pleased that such a high number of residents attended the open house last night to learn about the draft Environmental Reserve Bylaw and shared their thoughts—we counted about 250 in attendance. We appreciate the input that stakeholders have provided, and we will consider all of the viewpoints that have been shared with us," said municipal spokesperson Jihad Moghrabi following the three-hour session that covered many aspects of the way that environmental reserve land will be handled in the future.
The bylaw underlines existing policies dealing with the use of environmental reserves — lands that are adjacent to private property and run next to to sensitive areas like lakes and wetlands. The bylaw restricts and enforces the municipal and provincial stance that environmental reserves are not to be altered and must grow in their natural state. Many lakeside property owners maintain those reserves by mowing grass or grooming beach areas. Many say they also take pride in maintaining the areas without adversely affecting the sensitive environmental areas, and in essence are acting as stewards for the sensitive lands.
At issue, however, is the fact that residents don't actually own those reserves.
County officials held the session with a panel of experts from several of their own departments, as well as legal and environmental experts and members of Alberta Parks. Members of council were present to hear concerns about the bylaw from resident — but all questions were directed at the panel, as councillors had already agreed with municipal administrators that they would not offer comments or opinions at the session.
Terry Colosimo, a one-time municipal councillor and employee, was a vocal opponent in his opinions against the bylaw during the open house, and was happy that residents banded together to express their displeasure with the issue.
"I think it was very productive, I think the residents of Lac La Biche County really sent a message to council administration that they are not happy with the proposed environmental reserve by law," said Colosimo, adding, however, that he found the arguments from the other side of the table to be less than favourable. "I thought the expert panel was very weak. And so it kind of made the event somewhat easy, because they were really asking their questions, and they really didn't know the answer. Half of them didn't know the answers and the other half didn't really answer the questions, they went on some kind of tangents about the environment — but it really didn't pertain."
The day after the open house, Colosimo maintained his concerns about the bylaw, calling out councillors and senior municipal administrators, and challenging the public to make the environmental reserve issue an election issue.
"If this bylaw is not abandoned in its entirety, it will become an election issue and a slate of candidates will run to defeat this bylaw and remove the CAO and those administrators responsible for this bylaw. This is not a threat, but a promise from the people of this County."
Sensitive area
Garnett Robinson, a resident of Sunset Bay, also attended the event and saw the discussion as emotionally charged. But said emotions may have been heard more than concerns.
"It was a rather heated discussion. I'm not sure that members of the audience actually heard what was being discussed," he said, explaining that the public is part of the process and should have a say. "I think that the county was putting together a bylaw, that they're certainly open to having a discussion on it, but clearly the bylaws is not just something that they suddenly thought up on their own. They're actually trying to deal with a legal mandate they have to deal with the environmental reserve properties."
Robinson thinks the debate's heated nature pointed to a political gap between county officials and those who don't want to be told what to do.
"The term I used with somebody else last night was that it's not a NIMBY — 'not in my backyard' situation — It's a 'it's my backyard F*** off situation."
Some say ER is OK
Not all residents of Lac La Biche county are against the bylaw. Michael Schulz, President of the Lac La Biche Region Watershed Stewardship Society, presented on his organization's behalf, and said the existing bylaw has been open to abuse and the revised bylaw will clarify some of those loopholes.
"The comments that we had as a stewardship society, were more directed and making sure that there was consistent application of the bylaw," said Schulz. "The bylaw, as written, would have allowed for many exceptions, and a lot of potential for inconsistent application of the bylaw."
Ken Yakimec, a resident from Lac La Biche West, tried to find the middle ground in all the heated discussions. The day after the volatile meeting, he said both sides of the issue have points worth noting.
"Despite last night's meeting, which seemed to be largely occupied by a lot of diatribes against the bylaw, I actually think most of the people of Lac La Biche county, who haven't had the use of county land as their own front lawn, or private playground would support some version of this," said Yakimec. "That being said, you know, before I get anybody really angry, there's no need to turn these people into lawbreakers, either. I think they mean well."
The outpouring of emotion and many new pieces of information from the meeting have given municipal officials and provincial agencies a broader understanding of the effects of the revised bylaw. County officials are now planning to hold another session, on Saturday, July 6 to followup on suggestions, ideas and concerns. In the meantime, residents can also send their thoughts to the municipality's online dropbox at [email protected].
