Town of the Blue Mountains council has voted to support the concept of a watershed summit meeting for the area.
At its meeting on July 15, in a unanimous vote, council approved a resolution from Coun. Alex Maxwell to support the concept of a local watershed summit.
Maxwell’s resolution suggested that community members, organizations, agencies and stakeholders gather together for a summit focused on the protection and management of local watersheds.
In his comments on the matter, Maxwell hinted that plans for such a summit are already underway, although he did not offer specific details.
“Other organizations will take the lead on this project,” he said.
Maxwell said the town would be invited to participate in the summit, but would not be responsible for organization or funding the event.
“I wanted to make sure there was not a burden on the municipal taxpayer,” said Maxwell.
The resolution found support around the council table and was well-received.
“I’m certainly in favour of this motion,” said Coun. Paula Hope. “Watersheds are undervalued. They contribute a lot more than people realize.”
Council also received a letter from Carl Michener, president of the Blue Mountains Watershed Trust, expressing support for the concept.
“The intent of the summit would be to find a path forward to better protect and manage the area's watersheds and their ecosystems, as well as to better protect area residences from future catastrophic flood events,” Michener stated in his letter.
“The summit would ideally include a variety of participants, such as representatives from the Town of the Blue Mountains and Town of Collingwood, the counties of Grey and Simcoe, and the relevant conservation authorities, along with citizens and other not-for-profit agencies.”
Maxwell’s full resolution can be found on the agenda here.
