Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner has tabled a petition at Queen’s Park asking that a referendum be held on Tiny Township’s new administrative building.
Schreiner, who met with locals while visiting Midland last Friday, brought the petition with “an overwhelming" number of signatories to the provincial legislature Tuesday.
“This referendum is a significant milestone for our community, and we are proud to announce that it has garnered an overwhelming 7,675 signatures from concerned residents and supporters,” Stop the Build group member Janet Marks told MidlandToday.
“These signatures represent not only the voices of Tiny Township residents, but also those from other Ontario communities facing similar issues with excessive spending, a problem that is widespread across Canada.”
Marks noted that additionally, many signatories expressed “their solidarity with a community standing up for itself.”
Marks said the Stop the Build group has worked tirelessly over the past several months to gather signatures and raise awareness about what it views as a very important issue.
“From door-to-door canvassing to community events, our efforts have been a true reflection of the strong community spirit in Tiny Township," she said.
The next step in the referendum petition will be a response from the provincial government with Marks noting the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing is required to respond by January 12, 2025.
“We remain hopeful that the government will take our concerns seriously and engage in a transparent review process that reflects the will of the people," she said.
Mayor David Evans has said that "the benefits of the building are frankly numerous and frankly irrefutable" with the majority of Tiny council in favour of moving forward with the new building estimated to cost about $21 million, given the state of the aging building on Balm Beach Road.
"We need this facility, it’s something that’s been in the works for a long time in the township," Evans said.
But opposition to the project has been very vocal over the past year with not only the obvious financial obligations brought into question, but also potential environment concerns touted as reasons to vote against it.
Tiny resident Borys Kowalsky was an early proponent of the need for a referendum on the issue given its impact on the township's future.
"Owing to its sheer magnitude — and potentially disastrous consequences — the new build ought to have been thoroughly vetted in the public domain beforehand," Kowalsky said. "Yet this issue -unlike such bread-and-butter concerns as short-term rentals, beach access and spaces and road repair- never saw anything remotely resembling close public scrutiny, either before or after the 2022 municipal election."
To read more about Schreiner's recent visit to Midland, click here.
