Tiny Township is planning to enter into another year of calls for submissions for the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Cities Initiative, with this year pertaining to framework around a shoreline alteration bylaw amendment for the township’s dynamic beaches.
The call for submissions was noted at the recent committee of the whole meeting, where Mayor Dave Evans suggested the municipality had another consideration worthy of attention.
“Given that we are coming up with a brand new shoreline alteration bylaw amendment and the unique characteristics of the dynamic beach environment by creating a framework, we’re going to establish a bylaw to manage the buildings and structures within dynamic beach areas,” explained Evans at the meeting.
Evans read from the draft zoning bylaw amendment portion of a 330-page report which was provided by MHBC Planning to council in December.
“This is going to be an official bylaw plan amendment that we’re moving forward with, and how do we create a framework for enlargement, repair, replacement or renovation of these existing non-complying buildings or structures within the area, and establish setbacks from Georgian Bay for buildings and structures including retaining walls with a dynamic beach management area overlay zone," said Evans.
He added that the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Cities Initiative group would likely “be very interested to hear about” the plan, which could also allow them to see what Tiny was doing while allowing for larger feedback to return to the township during the bylaw-crafting process.
As the council representative, Coun. Kelly Helowka agreed with the submission request.
“Most recently, they’ve (GLSLCI) been up in arms about President Trump’s call for tariffs,” said Helowka, “and they’re trying to dissuade a trade war because of the relationships that they have forged with all the Canadian citizens along the waterways here in the Great Lakes on the St. Lawrence River.”
The 2025 Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative conference in Milwaukee is set for three days starting on May 14. As the deadline for submissions is in mid-March, the committee of the whole approved the motion.
Tiny Township had submitted previously to the initiative: in 2024 for the shoreline-related interim control bylaw the municipality had implemented, and in 2023 regarding invasive species which required the township to bend the municipal rulebook.
The Great Lakes St. Lawrence Cities Initiative correspondence can be viewed on the agenda page on the Township of Tiny website.
Archives of council meetings are available to view on the Township’s YouTube channel.