Lake Scugog is being threatened by a looming development proposal in Port Perry, on the lake’s western shore. However, there is an opportunity for residents of the Township of Scugog to speak up and make their voices heard before this development moves forward. On September 16, 2024, you can speak at the Township’s Planning and Community Affairs meeting, and let councillors know that Port Perry’s wetlands are no place for development. You can learn more about the issue below and take a look at our Port Perry Deputation Tip-Sheet.

Lake Scugog is a large, shallow lake in Durham Region, about an hour east of Toronto. The water that flows out of the lake joins the Trent-Severn waterway, making it possible to boat from Lake Scugog to Lake Simcoe, or down to Lake Ontario through the waterway’s system of locks. It’s a beautiful lake, with a rich history, but like many of Ontario’s freshwaters, its future is at risk.

Shoreline erosion, invasive species, changing water levels and increasing water pollution threaten Lake Scugog. These threats can be made much, much worse, by poor planning and development decisions. Paving over wetlands, reducing the ability of the land to absorb rainfall and nutrients, and adding more cars to the watershed is bad news for the lake. 

The development proposal to build on Lake Scugog’s western shore in Port Perry could cause irreparable damage to a provincially significant wetland, increase stormwater run-off pollution and erosion, and require a risky private sewage system to be placed right next to the lake. 

The developer, Avenu Properties, has asked the Township of Scugog Council to request a provincial Ministerial Zoning Order (MZO) to speed up the project. However, is saving time a good enough reason to remove municipal oversight and control, especially when the proposed development is on a wetland? Southern Ontario has already lost 72 per cent of its original wetlands. We can’t afford to lose Port Perry’s too. 

The excessive use of MZOs undermines existing planning policies and bylaws. It also threatens to cost taxpayers money, because building on undeveloped land requires new infrastructure, like water pipes and roads, and in this case, likely some responsibility for the communal sewage system, should it not work as planned. Previous governments were much more selective about issuing MZOs, using them only on average once a year. But Premier Ford’s government has issued at least 100 since 2018. 

In this case, Avenu is asking the municipality to request an MZO, which would set-in-stone the zoning, density, form and spacing of the development before critical studies, assessments and elements of the project are finalized or even started. There are still big unanswered questions about the carrying capacity of the land, its ability to host a major private communal sewage treatment facility, and where exactly water pipes and roadways will go. Asking for an MZO without that information in hand, is putting the cart before the horse. It could spell disaster for Lake Scugog. 

At a June Council meeting, town councillors voted to refer the MZO request to the town’s planning and development staff. They are required to study the proposal, and report back to the Planning and Community Affairs Committee on September 16. The community needs council to say “no” to Avenu’s request for an MZO. 

If you want to lend your voice to this cause, and are a resident of the Township of Scugog, please consider speaking before council at the upcoming Planning and Community Affairs Committee meeting.

Our wetlands are too important to mess with.