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Ummm,....this sites been a bit boring lately. I've had some time on my hands,...idle hands are the hands of the devil.
Over last days I received a few various texts/rumors from cottage neighbors, 'friend of a friend on way to cottage was pulled aside by OPP, issued $3-400 fine for travelling to seasonal home/cottage'. WTF?
First, to best of my knowledge, 2-3 wks ago DFord was only pleading folks not to travel to seasonal/rural homes from their principal/urban residences, which would otherwise place increased risk to citizens & local/smaller health care providers. Makes sense.
Although Provincial Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act was amended April 3, effective April 4, there was no language or announcement restricting or prohibiting citizen movement thereafter or during the Emergency period. Essential & non-essential services were listed, citing criteria, included marinas under Transportation heading.
Based on the unsubstantiated rumors of OPP pulling aside drivers, educating or fining drivers going to seasonal residences, I called OPP Midland detachment today to obtain facts, spoke with PC. I stated it's an inquiry, my general primary & seasonal residence locations, inquired of any recent Federal or Provincial laws or acts prohibiting or restricting movement on Provincial or Municipal roads.
In a nutshell: NO.
So, anyone charged with a fine or infraction while driving is receiving such under some other variant/law other than their movement on Ontario's highways & roads.
April 14 I watched live Township of Georgian Bay Special Council meeting. They are debating/doing everything possible under their limited authority/jurisdiction to prevent seasonal property owners from accessing property to discourage their presence within the Township. To that end, they discussed closing off municipal roads, municipally owned boat ramps, shut down private marinas/ramps, and deny islanders access to their properties. Regarding roads they finally came to realize that shutting those down would restrict permanent resident access; no go. They are able to shut down municipal boat ramps under their control, but this treats island property owners unfairly vs land access owners; they're ok with this, life's not fair. Regarding marinas, they discussed whether those are essential/non-essential and the preposterous notion that marinas should prohibit their island customers from accessing boats, launching.
Yet, given municipality cannot deny road access property owner from accessing property, they also cannot restrict same from allowing an island property owner from accessing property via land access friend's property.
So, what a Fkg mess. The ineptitude of these small municipalities/councils is becoming glaring, way over their heads in these difficult times, their manic fear, illogical panic, stupidly not realizing that without seasonal property owners and tax base they'd still be nothing more than back water Hillbilly's, getting lost in the bottle & shooting at each other. Out of unbridled arrogance they are applying the same big fish in a small pond mentality and attitude they use for Minor variance application, building permits, local bylaws, inspections, the authority they can flagrantly and at times overbearingly whip around, to this current monumental issue which is far above their understanding of facts and reality. The local back water municipal Councils and businesses have benefited politically and financially over decades and generations from the hard work and wealth of seasonal residents who have spent and invested their disposable income in these seasonal/recreation communities in the past and now as people retire up there. My Family has been in and contributing to this community since 195fucking7, many others longer. In addition, anecdotally, many local politicians have numbered companies, silent partners in construction, development, service companies, having an obvious knowledge & advantage of private and public developments & projects. And now they want to prevent access to tens of thousands of property owners, taxpayers, those that have put bread on their table, effectively pulling up the drawbridge.
Rest assured, under the current public health crisis the Prov & Feds have carefully weighed legal consequences and ramifications of restricting rights of citizen movement with consultation from best & brightest internal and external lawyers; no broad property access restrictions. Right to ones property(regardless of where and how many) is a fundamental right/cornerstone of and cherished by modern liberal democratic societies, only exceeded by Martial Law, War Measures Act. If those are rolled out, i'll abide. Case closed.
I fully understand the local health infrastructure limitations and preventing disease transmission within, we all get it, i/we'll take appropriate measures, that's sound for individual & greater common good.
But, fuck them, if the Hazard County monkeys, Boss Hogg, Sheriff Roscoe P Coltrane and Enos, are so ill informed, belligerent, arrogant and finally stupid to exceed their given authority to prevent me accessing my property. They will be held to account.
C'mon Bo, grab Daisy by the shorts, fire up The General, let's kick some ass!
Amen!
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