A controversial new land use bylaw will go ahead with some minor changes.
At Tuesday’s meeting, Region of Queens council voted to send the bylaw to the province for final approval, the last step before it is enacted into law.
The bylaw review has been a hot topic in Queens as it brought to light livestock restrictions that have been in place since 2009.
Homesteaders have been raising concerns on social media and during public meetings about the number of livestock permitted on a property, how those animals must be contained, and permitting required to build structures including greenhouses.
Mayor Darlene Norman says council heard the concerns and made some changes to allow raising livestock in Milton and granting some discretion to permit building within 50 feet of the water on a coastline.
While the changes may not satisfy everyone, Norman says it’s important for people to realize the bylaw has been adapted several times since it was adopted and can be changed again if necessary.
“Council were aware and I believe almost every councillor spoke about the fact that these were living documents. Changes can be made however it was recognized that regardless of what one does, everyone is not going to be pleased,” said Norman. “However, council did feel that these documents were the best way to move forward the Region of Queens.”
The bylaw will go into effect once the province signs off on the changes.
Public hearing on Queens proposed land use bylaw. Photo Ed Halverson
At a third and final public hearing in Liverpool Queens residents were vocal that a proposed new land use bylaw shouldn’t change the face of rural Queens.
Ria Neish is raising 40 chickens and three pigs on 300 acres of land in South Brookfield.
Neish doesn’t feel it’s reasonable to ask someone like herself who is not running a commercial farming operation to apply for permits to be allowed to supply food for themselves.
“Food is deplete in the grocery stores. The animals are treated deplorably in the grocery stores. That is why we live where we live. To raise animals well. To let them live full, happy, fulfilled life, living all their instincts out,” said Neish. “That’s why we’re doing what we’re doing and the fact that I would have to ask permission for that I do object to that.”
Frank Babin of Moose Harbour is concerned enforcing regulations on rural communities will change the culture in Queens.
He wants the region to allow people to continue to live as they have for hundreds of years.
“Especially the kids, ‘cause that’s who I’m thinking of. They used to go by and say hey look at that horse, look at that cow,” said Babin. “I don’t want to see that taken away ‘cause we are a rural community.”
Mayor Darlene Norman says some of the permitting requirements are there to ensure the region is aware of what kinds of activities are taking place on a piece of land.
“A development agreement is just in place to note that in addition to residential, there’s also household livestock as part of that main use, is how it was explained to me,” said Norman.
After reflecting on the discussion, the mayor is concerned that people feel the region is trying to force urban values on rural areas when in fact they’re designed to keep urban uses out of those rural areas.
“These documents actually protect rural interests like livestock farming, like household livestock, like forestry uses. It zones these wharves and says these are fishing marine areas,” said Norman. “So, I sometimes wonder if people have misinterpreted the value of them. Because the majority of our lands are rural, and they allow rural uses.”
Now that the second public hearing sessions are complete, the proposed bylaw will go back to council for consideration at their next meeting May 24.
Council will review the public input and determine whether to make any adjustments before voting on the bylaw.
The Region of Queens proposed new Land Use Bylaw has ruffled feathers amongst area homesteaders.
The new bylaw, which passed through first reading at the February 22 council meeting sets out rules for what, where and how anything can be built in Queens as well as what activities can take place on those properties.
Debbie J Wamboldt is a member of the Facebook group Homesteading and Growing in Queens.
She says members of the group feel some parts of the new bylaw will severely restrict their ability to raise livestock and grow food on their properties for their personal consumption.
“A lot of people joining our group who have moved here from really urban places, city places, where they felt like they could move to Milton and they would be able to have animals and they would be able to have livestock,” said Wamboldt. “They felt like they could move to Port Medway and Port Mouton and have livestock and their plans are up in the air now because of all of this.”
The proposed bylaw sets out how many animals a person can raise based on the type of animal and how much space is available on the property.
Wamboldt says even when owners have the space, the cost of building the fences and structures required to meet the proposed bylaw can be prohibitive.
“Generally, it’s not going to impact like, our ability to have livestock or anything like that because we do own 27 acres. But as far as building restrictions go, it kind of puts a chokehold on our creativity as to how we were gonna be able to even afford to do it. You know I don’t see building material prices coming down anytime soon,” said Wamboldt.
Under the Municipal Government Act, municipalities like the Region of Queens are required to review their land-use bylaws every 10 years.
The process began with the previous council in 2018 and was well underway when the new council was elected in the early days of the pandemic in 2020.
Wamboldt says she was unaware of any opportunities to provide feedback on the proposed changes during that time.
Region of Queens Mayor Darlene Norman says she had staff dig out old copies of the Municipal Matters flyers.
She says the information bulletin from the Region, distributed to residents across the municipality, announced several public engagement sessions but those were poorly attended.
Since passing first reading, the Region has hosted two public sessions to hear residents’ concerns.
Norman says some of what she heard during those sessions was eye-opening.
“So, what I learned from those two public sessions and the fallout afterward, was there was a surprisingly large amount of people in Queens County who had no idea that land use zoning and planning was adopted in 2009. Suddenly there’s people who are [saying] you know you have no right to tell me what I can do in my land, I own my own land. You know, how do you make people realize that we live in a society, and this is societal rules and when people move into a community they expect to know what can and cannot happen in that community,” said Norman.
Because the proposed bylaw has passed first reading, any new applications for permits must meet all existing rules as well as those contained in the proposed bylaw for 150 days.
Aside from some rezoning and now allowing residents to raise up to five chickens in most parts of the region, Norman says most of the rules haven’t changed since 2009.
“And it is unfortunate that people have started up small farms since 2009 on not the amount of land they need for the animals they have because they threw everything out that they get from the region of Queens in the garbage because they only thing they get from the region of Queens are bills. Well, that’s unfortunate,” said Norman. “People need to be responsible for themselves. I don’t care if they live in downtown Liverpool or on the border of Queens and Shelburne. People need to take their own responsibility and keep themselves informed.”
Norman says staff will be presenting a report to council at their April 12 meeting to provide options for revising the bylaw or passing it, as is.
If the bylaw goes ahead, it could go into effect sometime in the fall.
