Battle for Hastings

As I mentioned in my mini-FAQ post, the state of the wetlands near Hastings Drive are a disgrace: " That is why we are shocked and appalled at the management of the Big Creek Marsh by the Canadian Wildlife Service.   Phragmites australis   has invaded the whole of the marsh – when I was a child one could see open water – but now it is nothing but a green desert. Research the devastating effects of   phragmites .  We care, and we are the stewards of our land.  We can manage it better than anyone else." Hastings Drive is right below the Big Creek National Wildlife Area (map of  Big Creek NWA ). These wetlands are in terrible shape, being choked out by the invasive phragmites.  How bad is it?  Nothing can live there (other than phragmites).  Other bad things about phragmites: visual obstruction as it can grow up to 18 feet tall; recreational impacts as the reeds are not passable by animal or human; it's a serious fire hazard; ...

Here are some answers to some questions I’ve encountered: 1. Why now --since the storm happened over thirty years ago-- why would you conduct this campaign now, after all this time has passed? We’ve never stopped fighting to use our land.   My father G.D. Body contacted and consulted many people on our rights: provincial politicians, lawyers, and various county bureaucrats from 1985 to 1991.  My brother Michael died in 1992 and my dad more or less gave up.   We, and our friends and family, have been continually harassed by anonymous people calling the OPP to have us escorted off our land whenever we would visit and go for a swim and generally hang out. The tipping point came in the summer of 2013 when again the police were called on me, my husband and our 2 preschool children (and our dog Jenny!  Not nice).  I wrote a letter to the editor of the Simcoe Reformer to let Norfolk County know how I felt about this outrageous harassment.  You can re...

A letter to MPP Peter North written 25 years ago by my father.  You may notice something surprising (or not)—NOTHING has changed! October 15, 1991 HON. Peter North Ontario Legislature Queens Park Toronto, Ontario M5S 2C7 Dear Peter: Subject: Summer Home, 103 Hastings Drive, Long Point, Ontario On December 2, 1985 a major storm occurred on Lake Erie. This storm caused major damage along the north shore of the lake. My property was severely damaged by high water. The insurance company rejected my claim for damages. On December 22th, a meeting was held in Langton (see attached letter from Long Point Rate Payers Association) in which the  Mayor of the Township of Norfolk stated that anyone who suffered damage on Hasting Drive would be allowed to have a trailer on their property. It was also stated that a by-law would be passed to prevent anyone from building new buildings. In the spring of 1986, I removed the debris from my lot...

Letter to the Editor, Simcoe Reformer , 25 August 2013: I am outraged at the treatment of property owners on Hastings Drive in Long Point who had cottages destroyed in 1985.   There were people who were lucky enough to have their properties survive the storms, and they are in opposition to anyone who still owns land there being able to use it as they see fit.  These cottagers cite environmental issues (turtle nests, Fowler's toad), and the fact this land is still dangerous for human habitation due to unpredictable weather and land stability, yet they still have the privilege of living there.  Their protests are laughably hypocritical and discriminatory, but this is merely a smokescreen.  Their real concern is keeping everyone else out. If Hastings Drive is so ecologically fragile and dangerous for human habitation, as these cottagers claim, the land should be expropriated by the provincial or federal governments and turned over to the CWS or other enviro...

A recent show on The Current , “Why conflict over cottage ownership is tearing families apart.” describes what happens when generational turnover occurs.  Although we were forced to tear down our cottage on Hastings Drive, Long Point, and are fighting to rebuild, quite a bit of this topic resonated with me. "Barbara Benoliel, a psychologist and mediator who helps many families resolve succession disputes, tells The Current' s Anna Maria Tremonti that cottages are the most contentious part of estate disputes. "The cottage really represents the whole issue of family … so that's where their history is, that's why it's important," says Benoliel. The meaning of the property that represents identity is why things get complicated when dealing with family members. "What we are really challenging is the family identity," says Benoliel. "When we say this actual memory or this thing that we all share is going to now belong to one per...

In December 1985 a storm hit Long Point, located on the north shore of Lake Erie.  Some homes were damaged on Hastings Drive and one of them was ours.  We were told by the authorities to tear down what remained, that the road would be closed, no rebuilding would be allowed, and the area was re-zoned Hazard Land. My father wrote to his MP, MPP, and anyone else who would listen about this situation: no insurance pay out, and harassment for even visiting our property.  He eventually gave up ever seeing this situation put right. In August 2013 we visited our property with our two children to go for a swim.  Someone called the police on us and we were asked to leave. This has to stop.  This is our land. We are calling upon Norfolk County to re-zone this road.  It has been over 30 years.  Other parts of Long Point, with the same issues as Hastings Drive, were deemed Hazard Land after the storm but have since been re-zoned!  The Hazar...