Battle for Hastings

How can we improve private property rights in Ontario? Have your say and let them know. You have until May 15th to let your voice be heard! Scroll to the Consultation Form and fill it in... https://www.yourpropertyrights.ca/ "Purpose Statement This Blue Ribbon Panel shall develop and implement a strategic plan to champion the value of property rights for the benefit of all people of Ontario so that property rights are honoured and respected by people, the judiciary, and all levels of government.  We are passionate about responsible stewardship of property and its association with the ability of people to prosper and enjoy their personal rights and freedoms." 

Courtesy of the Shoreline Group.  To join please contact wearehastings@gmail.com H A S T I N G S Ask yourself this… If you owned a home that was destroyed by fire in Fort McMurray, or a flood of the Red River, or a flood of the High River, and were subsequently told by the municipality you could not rebuild because there ‘might’ be another event that could destroy your home, what would you do?  To add insult to injury, the municipality effectively sterilizes your property by down zoning it with no compensation: what would you do?  That your neighbour who is on the lot immediately next to you whose house remained intact can continue to enjoy the privilege of enjoying their property?  Would you feel fairly treated?  And yes, we do live in Canada. This is the story of Hastings. Hastings Drive is a 3 kilometer stretch of beach and forms part of a 42 kilometer sand peninsula well known as Long Point, Ontario. Hastings Drive was a regis...

Two excellent posts from the Faculty of Law, University of Alberta came to my attention recently.   One on  Expropriation and the Right to Compensation : "Government seizure of private land, also known as expropriation, may be direct or indirect. Direct expropriation is rare and equates to an actual change in ownership of the land; whereas indirect expropriation is a loss of economic viability of land due to excessive regulation." Private property rights are not in our Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.  What about the provinces?  Here is their post Respecting Property Rights , regarding the Alberta scene: "Earlier this year, my colleague David Percy and I published   A Guide to Property Rights in Alberta ,  which we wrote with the generous support of the Alberta Land Institute. So it is no surprise that I was intrigued to learn that this government's first piece of legislation, Bill 1, which was introduced on Monday...

The LPRCA had a meeting last Wednesday to discuss whether to appeal the new bylaw. We the landowners had a representative present who was voted allowed to speak. The LPRCA employee voted that she should not be allowed to speak and it became clear as to why. This employee spent her time back stepping with great difficulty answering the questions our representative presented. The most important question is why we cannot rebuild should we want to when there is the technology etc. to do so in an environmentally friendly way.  This again confirms that the LPRCA wants the land. Again the LPRCA needs to work with the landowners and face reality. Change is coming to Hastings Drive and they can either be part of the solution or continue to be part of the problem and reach defeat. Another problem with this is that the government already owns 85% of the land in Ontario. So why when they are not doing an adequate job at managing their own land, do they need to try and take the small amount t...

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...