O T R FEBRUARY 2021 Special FOREST WALKS PULL-OUT Pg 11 MEET THE CROXALLS PG.6 JUMP INTO 2021 WITH 21% OFF PG.10 COUNCILCOUNCIL CORNER CORNER 3 3 O TR Council opposes Main St. cannabis store FEBRUARY Tax and water bill deferral; new telecommunication tower; Highway 48 vision on agendas No.48 | 2021 Glenn Jackson, Contributor This is a monthly column summarizing recent Features Whitchurch-Stouffville Council decisions. REFLECTIONS WITH Subscribe to our eNewsletter for more JULIE WILLIAMS detailed information: eepurl.com/cKPNg9 PG.4 Cannabis Store Application Opposed. FINDING SAFE An application for a cannabis retail store has SPACES PG.5 JUMP INTO been submitted to the Alcohol and Gaming MEET THE Commission of Ontario (AGCO) for 6134 Main CROXALLS PG.6 2021 WITH Street. The store is located on the north side between Albert Street North and Edward POWERED BY NEIGHBOURS PG.10 Street. 21% OFF The location is within 100 metres of Tiny OTR FOREST WALKS Bubbles Daycare at 6128 Main Street. PULL-OUT PG.11 PG.10 Provincial regulations do not permit SENIOR OF THE cannabis retail locations within 150 metres MONTH PG.16 of a school as defined by the Education Act, however, daycare centres are regulated under TRANSGRESSIONS FROM THE EDITOR PG.20 the Day Nurseries Act and therefore are not On the Road in Whitchurch-Stouffville (OTR) is the specifically restricted from the prohibited Monthly magazine of the Town. The purpose of it is distance separation. Departments to communicate with residents, promote local busi- As outlined in a Report before Council on nesses, support agriculture, develop tourism and, ON THE ROAD January 19, staff is of the opinion that having COUNCIL a cannabis retail store in such close proximity most importantly, build community. ABOVE: Corebridge’s vision for the northeast corner of Hoover Park Drive and Highway 48 includes a hotel, CORNER PG.3 In this issue, we learn about more shop local ini- to a daycare is not acceptable. library, marketplace, conference center, innovation centre, live/work townhouses and apartment units. 3 inch x 3 inch Collectively christened “Stouffville Commons,” this area was once contained within the Highway 48 Visioning SOCIETAS PG.4 tiatives, we celebrate the great outdoors, and visit As a result, Council took immediate action Study. Council elected to merge the study with two other land use policies on January 19. the Croxalls. This will be the last issue with Jake and will advise the AGCO that the Town does WHERE NEXT PG.5 MacAndrew, who has been involved as the OTR OCTOBER 2020 ISSUE not support the application. The AGCO has final say in cannabis store CENTRE CITY PG.6 Journalism Student - we thank Jake and have enjoyed required to have account authority and must Highway 48 Development. At the January his participation. applications in Ontario. indicate name, address of the property, the tax 19 meeting, Council approved the re-scope of COMMUNITY PRESS READY PDF Just a reminder, all the businesses, citizens and and/or water billing account number(s) and the the Highway 48 Visioning Study. NEWS P G . 2 2 events featured in OTR are done so on a pro-bono BRIAN Tax and Water Bill Due Dates. On January nature of the financial burden. The Study, initiated early last year, looked at basis. The Town loves the community, and OTR is one MCFARLANE 19, Council approved a COVID-19 deferral In addition, interest charges and penalties the potential scenarios in which the Highway way to re-invest. If you want to advertise in the only PG.21 policy for water and tax bill relief. There is will be waived if payment of all outstanding 48 corridor south of Stouffville Road/Main Columns every-door magazine in Whitchurch-Stouffville, you now a 60-day grace period for upcoming amounts is received on or before the revised Street could be planned and developed. must contact a 3rd party, Bruce Stapley at bstapley@ tax and water payments to relieve property due date as outlined in the decision letter Late last year FLATO Developments, the SUSAN'S TIP-OFF sympatico.ca. If you have a story - and everyone has a owners requiring financial support due to the issued to the applicant. primary landowner in the area, was granted a PG.18 story - contact me, below. SEAWAY WATER SUPPLY pandemic. More information can be found at townofws. Minister’s Zoning Order which would pave GIVING BACK This issue brings awareness to thirty-six business- The grace period applies to any tax or water ca/deferrals the way for them to build an 1800-dwelling PG.19 es, outdoor recreation and three matters of commu- bill with due dates between January 27 and subdivision on the land west of Highway 48 WATER SERVICES WASTE MANAGEMENT June 30. Property owners wishing to request Cell Phone Tower Application. At near Walmart. FROM WHERE I nity importance. This appears to be our 4-year OTR LIVE PG.20 anniversary, with 48 issues printed. • Well/Cistern/Pool • Septic Services deferral of payments for the bill due date of the January 19 meeting, Council approved As a result, the Visioning Study is no longer • Water Sod/Landscape • Bin Rentals January 27 have until February 3 to make such Freedom Mobile to submit an application to needed. Council therefore approved the SPORTS TOWN David Tuley, Editor & Designer requests providing payment has not already erect a telecommunications tower at 5061 merging of the Study with two other land use PG.21 • Water Tank Rentals • Hydro Vac Services Economic Development Officer been made. All subsequent requests need to Bethesda Road. The land is owned by the town policies: The Western Approach policy and [email protected] be received at least one week in advance of and is the current site of the Operations Centre. the Gateway policy, both of which oversee Emergency Service Available the payment due date if payment has not been Upon completion of the application development close to Highway 48. Cover Photo & all *Licenced Under M.O.E. large photographs: MEET THE made during that application period. process, a recommendation report will be Dennis Hristovski COUNCIL MEETINGS: Requests can be made at townofws.ca/ brought before Council to either direct staff CROXALLS CallCall us for Today Ice forRink Fall Quotes Special Under the current COVID-19 situation, meetings are generally PG.6 deferrals. However, submissions will also to issue a letter of concurrence or a letter of 1 p.m. every other Tuesday via teleconference. Detailed be accepted in writing or email to deferrals@ non-concurrence to Innovation, Science and information at townofws.ca/COVID19 905-683-1397 Listen live: townofws.ca/cmlivestream. 905-683-1397 townofws.ca. To apply, the applicant is Economic Development Canada. Live tweets: @ws_townhall [email protected] seawaywatersupply.com Celebrating 6059 yrs in Durham and GTA SOCIETASSOCIETAS 4 WHERE NEXT 5 FINDING by David Tuley safe Spaces We are coming up to the one-year anni- The current policy, which may have of the Super Bowl, Groundhog Day, Chinese versary of the original lockdown. We took it changed by OTR press time, is weighing New Year, Mardi Gras, Valentine’s Day, Family very seriously back then. Highway 404 was so needs: we must keep people at home, but we Day, Lent, the Stouffville Spirit, International empty that it appeared to be a post-apocalyp- must help businesses survive or our economy Polar Bear Day, Black History Month, and tic scene. York Region hit a peak of 109 cases could collapse. On the one hand is a lockdown sometimes, a Leap Year? Sadly, you have Photographer Julie Williams April 2, which wasn’t to be matched and sur- Stay-at-Home, while shopping continues to reinvent all of these events in your own passed until October 15. By November 30 we at non-essential businesses. It makes little unforgettable way, with no more than 5 peo- REFLECTIONS doubled it, and by January 7 daily cases more sense. This is a true lose-lose situation, and ple - outside. This may be the greatest chal- on OTR, E-Commerce, and than quadrupled. At the original peak, non-es- no policy can navigate it well. lenge in our lifetimes – an iconic period. Will Chemical Engineering sential businesses were forced shut, but 4x In Whitchurch-Stouffville, we want our COVID match up to World War I, The Great Depression, the Dust Bowl, World War II and Jake MacAndrew, OTR Journalism Student past the post, these are open. Stay at Home businesses to survive and our populace to be Orders issued, but curbside pick-up allowed. safe. The best we can do is to encourage you the Cold War in the timetables of history? It What? to shop locally in a safe manner, and to spend may be a blip in historical comparison, but it's Government policy during COVID-19 has outside time as far from other people as possi- damaging for sure. One day we will look back been a confusing business. We can’t blame the ble. Yep, use the gas pedal and the brake at the on this with wisdom and reflection. It hasn’t government so much, as pandemics – thank- same time. We used both pedals intentionally been a simple year of i-dotting and t-crossing. In school, Julie Williams was always For three years, Julie worked with the exhibit at 19 On the Park featuring 11 influ- fully – do not come around very often. This has as teens, now we get to do it again. If any of this commentary falls very short interested in science.