Ministry to mediate on wastewater objections

The Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change will mediate between the Town of Erin and any residents who appeal the results of the Wastewater Environmental Assessment (EA).

The culmination of the Master Plan and Municipal Class EA process, which was mandated in 2004 and started in 2009, is publication of an Environmental Study Report (ESR), which is subject to a formal 30-day review period. The completed report is almost 2,000 pages, and will be available at erin.ca, in libraries and at Town Hall.

On April 24 town council got a report from Joe Mullan, President of Ainley Group that has conducted Phases 3 and 4 of the EA. They agreed that the review period would be May 14 to June 14.

People can make comments to the town, or make a more formal appeal, known as a request for a Part II Order or a “bump-up”. This must be submitted to the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change by June 14.

Eventually, Minister Chris Ballard would issue an order binding on all parties. He could require additional investigation or approve the plan, allowing the town to proceed with funding requests, design and construction.

A similar Part II Order process for the Station Street bridge, dam and pond lasted more than a year.

Mullan said his team would hold another meeting of the Public Liaison Committee and meet with others to resolve concerns. He said Part II Order requests should be as specific as possible, so the ministry can ask questions of the town and consultant.

“The ministry becomes a mediator, and then ultimately a decision maker,” said Mullan.

Ainley has already responded individually to 26 letters from residents. Concerns include costs for urban residents, growth of the urban population to 14,559 in the coming decades, possible costs for rural residents and risks to the natural environment.

Mullan says public concerns have been addressed through technical studies and public meetings over the last two years, but some residents say that the answers to their questions have been inadequate.

The preferred alternative includes a gravity collection system with low-pressure pumping in some areas, a forcemain connecting Hillsburgh to Erin village along the Elora-Cataract Trailway, a plant at County Road 52 and Tenth Line using membrane technology and UV treatment, and an outlet to the West Credit River at Winston Churchill Blvd.

“We have had preliminary talks with senior governments and have received positive feedback,” said Mayor Allan Alls. “This critical project will help us build a complete and sustainable community, which will attract new jobs.” 

After major contributions from developers and funding from senior governments, the local share of the eventual $118 million project could be $20 million. If so, each serviced property would pay an average of $7,500 for construction – though the actual amount could vary per property once the allocation formula is decided. It could be financed for up to 15 years.

In addition, individual connection charges paid to a private contractor are expected to be in the range of $4,000 to $8,000, depending on the property.

Once the system is running, yearly wastewater usage fees are estimated at $500 to $600 (based on rates in nearby municipalities).

Available in the wastewater section of the town website is a Frequently Asked Questions document with information on the project. The Town of Erin Facebook page has an animated video about the costs to property owners. 

Also on the site is Mullan’s 38-page presentation to council with the April 24 agenda. It includes a capital cost summary for all elements of the wastewater system and outlines financing options.

Mixed messages on Erin wastewater cost sharing

Residents who will not get wastewater service for their homes continue to get conflicting messages about whether they will have to help pay for the system.

A document from consultant Ainley Group, posted in the wastewater section of the town website, erin.ca, attempts to summarize questions from the Feb. 2 public meeting.

One question says, “I do not live in the planned wastewater service areas. Will I have to pay any of the construction or operating costs for this system?”

The Ainley answer is, “No. You will not pay anything and will benefit from having a local facility to dispose of and treat septic tank waste.”

Town council has not taken a position on this, but Mayor Allan Alls has promoted the idea that all property owners should pay for construction. The eventual local share of construction costs (after grants are received) could be $20 million.

The mayor says there is some flexibility within the Municipal Act to potentially allocate construction costs to the whole tax base. At the April 24 council meeting, he said, “I’ve been beaten down, but there’s more to go.”

Ainley President Joe Mullan said his firm’s “assumption since day one” is to have construction costs paid exclusively by serviced residents, which is normal practice in Ontario. But he said, “It’s your right to change that.”

In an earlier interview, Alls emphasized that wastewater would bring economic benefits to the entire town.

“When the Town of Erin goes out to borrow $20 million, they don’t borrow it for only a small section of people who will pay that $20 million back. You can’t do it that way. That’s not how it works in democracy.”

He suggested the issue could “bring some people out of the woodwork to run for council”.

Asked how people might react if a high tax increase was needed to cover sewer construction costs, the mayor said, “I’ll get fired.”

The Ainley document says dividing $20 million equally among the 2,672 urban lots (residential, commercial, industrial and institutional) would mean an expense per property of $7,500. The exact formula has not been decided, since costs could be allocated by various factors such as property frontage. But it is clear that sharing the construction cost with rural residents (who are the majority), plus those in unserviced urban areas, would drastically lower the cost per household. 

Ainley says the construction cost could be paid as a lump sum by homeowners, or through a loan from the town, as part of the municipal tax bill. Hook-up will be mandatory in serviced areas.

The construction cost does not include the cost of individual hook-ups, which could range from $4,000 to $8,000. This would have to be paid privately by the homeowner, to a contractor that they would have to hire themselves.

Ainley has sent individual responses to residents who submitted questions following the Feb. 2 meeting. The firm is completing an Environmental Study Report, as the Environmental Assessment (EA) wraps up. It will be open to public comment from May 14 to June 14, and the EA results can be appealed to the Minister of the Environment, as a request for a Part II Order. 

The town will be reviewing its Official Plan to identify specific areas for new housing – a step that has been delayed for several years.

The phasing of wastewater construction could follow many different scenarios, depending on planning decisions and financing.

In one scenario created by Ainley, if adequate funding is received, construction of Phase One could begin in the second half of the next council term (2020-2022). 

About 60 per cent of the Phase One capacity could service existing residents, while 40 per cent could be allocated to new development, allowing the serviced urban population to grow from about 4,500 to 8,864.

Phase Two would be entirely for new growth, and could happen about 2028-2030, eventually boosting the urban population to 14,559.

Residents hope to avoid school closures

When Erin and Hillsburgh parents were asked what they want their schools to be in the future, their main response was “Open!”

About 100 people turned out to a workshop style meeting at Erin Public School on Feb. 28, hoping to discuss low enrolment issues.

The meeting was hosted by the Upper Grand District School Board (UGDSB), as part of the consultation process in developing a Long Term Accommodation Plan (LTAP) throughout Wellington, Dufferin and Guelph.

There will be another round of consultation before the final plan goes to trustees in June. There will be no recommendations on school closures – just further steps in a lengthy process that could lead to future changes.

There was some frustration because the meeting format did not allow attendees to make comments or ask direct questions of school board officials in the public session. Instead, people sat in rotating groups of six and were asked to describe their schools now, and what they want them to be.

 “The discussion questions last night were odd,” said Cooper in a Facebook post. “They didn't address the issues the school communities were facing at all.”

Town Councillor Jeff Duncan called the questions “lame”, since they did not deal with enrolment.

“This was an intentional attempt by Board officials, not even supported by their own trustee, to keep a lid on the community being able to voice its concern over the real issue here of the future closure of schools,” said Duncan. Residents were asked to fill out an on-line survey that closed just two days later.

There is particular concern over enrolment at Ross R. Mackay School in Hillsburgh. Its population of 90 students is expected to drop to 64 in five years, using only 32 per cent of the school’s capacity.

That rate could stay low if there is no housing growth, making it a candidate for closure. With new subdivisions supported by sewers, enrolment could rebound to 165 (83 per cent usage) in ten years.

The discussion groups were able to bring forward suggestions to help boost attendance at MacKay, including a boundary review that could increase its catchment area, and the transfer of some special education classes to the school.

There is also the possibility of making Brisbane Public School entirely French Immersion, which could result in more English-only students at MacKay.

Cooper supported investigation of such alternatives, but said the suggestion of adding Grades 7 and 8 at MacKay would not be practical. Technology courses for those grades are only feasible with higher student populations.

With sewage capacity to support new housing, Brisbane is projected to reach 107 per cent of capacity (477 students) in 10 years and Erin Public School to reach 79 per cent (423 students). Without substantial new housing, Brisbane would grow more slowly, reaching 101 per cent in 10 years, while Erin Public would decline to 47 per cent.

St. John Brebeuf Catholic School in Erin village currently has 238 students, but could accommodate more than 300. Principal Lowell Butts​ said they are holding steady, with the same number of students as in the previous school year.

Mayor Al Alls and Trustee Cooper have urged residents to support development of a wastewater system, but there is concern about the cost to existing urban homeowners. An Environmental Assessment is expected to wrap up this spring with a definite wastewater plan, but an actual system could still take well over five years to develop.

“The town has spent a large amount of money, time and energy in going through the regulatory hoops to allow for growth in our community,” said Duncan.

“I would hope the UGDSB would over the short to mid term allow this required process to play out and work with us.”

Mayor issues wastewater warning

Mayor Al Alls is predicting dire consequences if the Erin community fails to deal with the need for sewage treatment.

In an open letter to residents, he said inaction would bring “unfathomable” risks.

“One of the most important moments in the history of our Town is currently before us,” he said. “This council agreed to accept the challenge despite the hardships that came with it, to ensure a bright future for Erin.”

He wrote an open letter in January on the same theme, but his current comments come after much criticism of proposals in the Wastewater Environmental Assessment at a recent public meeting.

“Erin is a great place to live – however presently, only for a select few,” he said. “Those residents who built our town have been forced to move Guelph, Georgetown or Orangeville when they age because of a lack of Senior’s facilities.

“The children and grandchildren of those residents are also forced to leave our borders due to a lack of affordable housing options. To create a prosperous and wholesome community that works for all ages, we need to address this deficiency.”

He said sewers are needed to stop “massive” pollution of the environment by septic systems, to allow for a greater variety of residential development, to enable business growth (which would offset residential taxes) and to ensure that schools do not close due to lack of enrolment.

He said developers will pay half the cost of the $118 million system, and tens of millions of dollars will be needed from senior governments to make the project possible.

“The costs may be high, but the cost of doing nothing is greater,” he said.

The full text of the mayor’s message can be read in the Opinion section at erinadvocate.com.

Skeptical crowd reviews wastewater plan

Many Erin residents are not convinced that a wastewater system costing $118 million is the best course of action for the town, and they vented their doubts loudly at a public meeting on Feb. 2.

There was a presentation by Ainley Group, the consultants hired to complete the final phases of an Environmental Assessment (EA). The current plan estimates a cost of $50-$60 million to service the existing 4,500 residents in Hillsburgh and Erin village. The balance would be paid by developers as the urban population increases by about 10,000 over 20-30 years.

Limits on the town’s debt capacity mean the project would only be feasible with substantial senior government funding. One resident noted that if the town uses up most of its debt capacity for wastewater, it would not be available to support other important infrastructure projects.

Another received applause after suggesting there be a referendum on whether to proceed with sewers. Several also expressed doubt about the chances of the project being completed on budget.

Some residents are satisfied with the current set-up of private septic systems, saying that problems with aging systems do not constitute an emergency.

“Why should we be excited about spending all this money when we’ve got what we need in our back yard?” said one speaker. “Just leave us alone.”

Another said many people moved to Erin for the low housing density, and that a sewer system would allow developers such as Solmar to “get rich” building denser neighbourhoods.

“We’re going to spend 50 to 60 million so Solmar can build houses and destroy our community?” he said.

One resident reminded the crowd that the reason residential tax bills are so high is the lack of a substantial commercial and industrial tax base. Wastewater service could help correct that imbalance.

Some were concerned about impact on the West Credit River, but were told that the effluent would be treated to such a high level that the discharge would be well within Ministry of the Environment limits. No storm water will be allowed in the sanitary sewers, eliminating the possibility of waste bypassing the treatment plant during a storm.

Ainley President Joe Mullan said the preferred option of a traditional gravity sewer system would provide the “lowest operating cost in the long term”.

He said if the projected cost per household of $20,000-$25,000 (based on full build-out) is offset by two-thirds grant funding, homeowners would pay $6,700-$8,300. This could be spread over many years as a low-interest loan.

In addition, they would have to pay for the connection from their houses to the road, now estimated at an average of $6,000. Hook-up would be mandatory in serviced areas, though it could be delayed.

There would also be ongoing wastewater bills, similar to water bills, averaging $400-$500 annually. Mullan noted that provision of sewers normally causes property values to rise.

Full details of the Ainley presentation can be downloaded from the wastewater section of the town website, erin.ca.

Mayor Al Alls had previously voiced his personal opinion that all taxpayers, including rural residents who would never hook up to sewage treatment, should pay a share of system construction. They are already helping pay for the EA process. In a recent interview, however, Alls conceded that urban residents would pay construction costs (offset by government grants and developers’ contributions).

He reminded residents that all members of the current town council were elected in 2014 after promising to support moderate growth, with wastewater as a key element. The next municipal election is Oct. 22 this year.

“We need sewage capacity,” he said. “The status quo can only lead to further decline.”

He read an appeal from public school trustee Kathryn Cooper, who urged residents to support wastewater service as a means of increasing the number of families with school-age children. A meeting about declining enrolment and potential school closures will be held Feb. 28 at 7 p.m. at the Erin Public School gym.

The EA remains in a public consultation stage, and comments are invited before the end of February. After that, Ainley will work with the town and the Public Liaison Committee to prepare an Environmental Study Report, which will be subject to an official 30-day public review period.

If accepted by council, the EA could be complete by late spring, though the results could be appealed to the Minister of the Environment with “Part II Order” requests. The completed EA is needed to apply for federal and provincial funding.

Comments can be sent to Project Coordinator Christine Furlong of Triton Engineering, cfurlong@triton.on.ca; or to Ainley President Joe Mullan, erin.urban.classea@ainleygroup.com.

With fewer children, Erin is stuck in the middle ages

The number of children living in the Town of Erin is at its lowest point in more than 20 years, according to 2016 census data released last week by Statistics Canada.

Although the town’s population rose 6.2 per cent to 11,439 from 2011 to 2016, the proportion of children aged 0-14 continued a long-term decline.

Back in 1996, Erin had 2,558 children, making up 24 per cent of the population. Now, we’re down to 1,750 children, making up only 15.3 per cent of the population.

By comparison, the national average for the proportion of children 0-14 is 16.6 per cent, while in nearby Georgetown, the proportion is 19.4 per cent.

The total number of children in Erin is down 6 per cent in the last five years, but it’s not as drastic as in the previous 5 years (2006-2011) when the decline was 15 per cent.

Within the 0-14 age group, Statistics Canada reports 450 Erin kids aged 0-4, 595 aged 5 to 9 years and 705 aged 10-14. If these numbers were to stay consistent, it would mean a substantially lower number of elementary school age children, since fewer young children would be entering the school system.

Among adults, Erin’s lowest population groups are ages 25-29 (490 people) and ages 30-34 (450 people). In contrast, the age 50-54 group has 1,275 people and the 55-59 group has 1,105 people.

The population is heavily weighted in the middle groups, with the number aged 35-64 totalling 5,475, almost half the total population.

The number of people in Erin aged 65 and older is 1,725, or 15.1 per cent of the population, which is also lower than the national average of 19.9 per cent.

Population growth in the urban areas of Erin village and Hillburgh is lower than the Town average of 6.2 per cent, meaning that most growth has been in the rural areas.

Erin village up is up 4.9 per cent to 2,647 people, in 1,011 private dwellings (845 being single detached homes). Hillsburgh is up 5.5 per cent to 1,124 people, in 430 private dwellings (365 being single detached homes).

Overall the Town of Erin including rural areas has some 4,100 dwellings, with 3,770 as single-detached homes, 80 attached homes, 150 apartments and 100 moveable homes.

The average household size is 2.8 persons. The breakdown is 635 dwellings with one person, 1,525 with two people, 725 with three people, 795 with four people, and 415 with five or more.

While the census has Erin’s 2016 population at 11,439, the actual number of people living in the Town is probably higher. Some people are normally missed in the census. For the 2011 census, Statistics Canada estimated the “undercount” at 4.1 per cent.

Erin population up

Erin’s population has rebounded after a drop reported five years ago, growing by 6.2 per cent to 11,439, according to figures released last week by Statistics Canada.

The growth rate is higher than the provincial average of 4.6 per cent and the national average of 5 per cent. The 2016 census counted 13.5 million people in Ontario and 35.2 million in Canada.

Initial figures show there were 4,108 private dwellings occupied in Erin, an increase of 9.8% from 2011.

When the 2011 census reported Erin with 10,770 residents, a decline of 378 (-3.4%) since 2006, it was the first population drop for village and township since the Great Depression.

More detailed statistics have not been released yet, but the trend in Erin has been a low number of seniors and families with young children, partly due to high real estate prices and relatively few new homes being constructed.

While the census has Erin’s 2016 population at 11,439, the actual number of people living in the Town is probably higher. Recently the County’s estimate for Erin’s population has been 12,365.

Some people are normally missed in the census. Statistics Canada has not yet published an estimate of the “undercount” for 2016, but for the 2011 census it was 4.1 per cent.

Wellington County is responsible for population forecasts, as part of the Province’s Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe area. After adding the undercount, the County and Province use a Census Adjusted Population for their forecasts.

Since census statistics only come out every five years, the County tries to keep a more accurate estimate of the number of residents. In addition to the undercount, they have an in-house tracking system that includes building permit data to estimate the number of occupied dwellings.

 “A census release does not typically result in changes to an existing forecast,” said Mark Paoli, Manager of Policy Planning for Wellington County. “It is used as an input to the next forecast update, once all the information is released and our economists Watson Associates have reviewed and analysed all of the new data.”

The newly-published census population for all of Wellington County is 90,932, up 6.9%, while the County’s recent estimate of its own population is 95,805.

As part of the StatsCan website, the Focus on Geography feature compares Erin’s population growth to that of other municipalities.

Caledon’s published population has grown by 11.8% to 66,502. Orangeville is up 3.3% to 28,900, East Garafraxa down .6% to 2,579, Guelph/Eramosa up 3.8% to 12,854, Centre Wellington up 5.6% to 28,191, Halton Hills up 3.6% to 61,161 and Shelburne up 39% to 8,126.

Erin should promote its Greenbelt identity

As published in The Erin Advocate

Erin should aggressively promote itself as a destination within Ontario’s Greenbelt, and express support for the protection it provides when the legislation is reviewed next year.

Local politicians were distressed ten years ago when the province decided to include the east side of the Town, including Hillsburgh and Erin village, in the 1.8 million acre Greenbelt.

Faced with loss of local control over development, they expanded the urban boundary by 300 acres in the north of Erin village, exempting it from the Greenbelt.

In other parts of the Greater Toronto Area, developers are trying to chip away at the Greenbelt to get more land for housing, while environmentalists are trying to expand the Greenbelt through river valleys to ensure long term protection for what has become known as our “natural heritage”.

Here in Erin, we still have plenty of green space, and more acres of urban land for housing development than we can actually use, given the small size of our river. Apart from development issues, the Greenbelt represents a marketing opportunity that we can use to target city dwellers to want to escape, even just for a day.

Part of that is the Greenbelt Route, a cycling route from the Niagara River to Rice Lake (south of Peterborough) that will be launched next year. It is mainly on existing roads, but a key section is the old rail line of the Caledon Trailway running 36 km from Terra Cotta through Inglewood and points north-east.

Every trail needs side loops to make excursions practical and interesting. Erin already has the Trans-Canada Trail (the Elora Cataract Trailway), so it is well positioned to take advantage of that need.

Erin’s rolling countryside is already popular with cyclists, but what if we were to advertise the “Erin Loop”? I’m sure we could pay a consultant to come up with a catchier name, but the idea would be to encourage groups of cyclists to use Erin as the home base for excursions.

They can show up on a weekend morning and have breakfast here. They can cycle down Winston Churchill, and possibly spend time at Terra Cotta Conservation Area. Just south of there, they pick up the Caledon Trailway, travel to Inglewood, then turn north on signed bike routes to get to the McLaren Road entrance of Forks of the Credit Provincial Park.

The Park has many bike trails and it also provides direct access to the Trans-Canada Trail, looping them back to Erin where they can shop and go out for dinner.

At a recent seminar, Shelley Petrie of the Friends of the Greenbelt charitable foundation said the Greenbelt protects a critical mass of farmland from urban sprawl and provides connected lands that allow wildlife to migrate.

“It’s about the rural economy and recreation plays into it,” she said. “It’s about sustainability for the entire region. It’s taken 30 years to get here, but over time, people’s values started to be reflected in these plans – to protect the beauty of nature, to protect local food production, to have a livable region. For the entire farming sector, this is a hotbed from a jobs and economy point of view.”

She said alliances between farmers and environmentalists are needed as the Greenbelt is reviewed. Key discussions will not only be about whether to expand Greenbelt boundaries, but the impact of highway development (which drives urban sprawl), protecting water resources, dealing with contaminated soils (perhaps with a Clean Soils Act) and possibly adding a protected “Foodbelt” zone of agricultural land just outside the Greenbelt.

These are all issues that could affect Erin’s future, so we should be paying attention. Here are a few websites for additional information: greenbeltalliance.ca, walkandrollpeel.ca, greenbelt.ca and greenbeltleaders.ca.