HEATHER BOA Bullet News GODERICH – The Town of Goderich will take another look at its restricted access to favourite fishing holes in the harbour after hearing from dozens of fishers who packed the council chambers last night.
In a rare move, councillors deferred their usual seats at the council table to appointed mediator Duncan Jewell and town solicitor Greg Stewart, opting instead to sit in the gallery among the fishers. One after another, fishers from as far away as Stratford took their turn at the microphone to voice displeasure with restricted access to the mouth of the Maitland River where it empties into Lake Huron, an area at the north end of the harbour that is off limits as a result of a lease agreement signed between the town and Sifto Canada Corp., a division of Compass Minerals, this past August. Future lands created through infilling as part of the proposed harbour expansion project would also have restricted access.
“We want to be able to fish that north wall. We want to be able to fish that river. And we will fish it. It’s just going to take more and more pressure but we want to fish. We’re going to fish. You can’t stop us from fishing. We’ve been fishing all these years,” said Laurence Ducharme, who is a member of the Maitland Valley Anglers. He said fishers spent time and money in Goderich in order to fish.
He posed a question to Rowland Howe, a director of the Goderich Port Management Corporation (GPMC), who said pedestrian access to three dolphins at the south side of north harbour will be provided when boats aren’t loading. GPMC is a not-for-profit corporation of port users that operates the port on behalf of the town, relying on user fees to manage day-to-day operations.
“Could you tell me when they’re not loading? Could you explain that to me? Because I’m here all the time and they’re loading,” he said.
Ownership of the harbour transferred from the federal government to the Town of Goderich in 1999. The $47-million harbour expansion is jointly funded by the GPMC, the provincial government and Compass Minerals, which stepped in when a bid for federal funding failed. Fourteen acres of infilling will create more land for industrial and commercial purposes on the wharf at the north harbour, where the deep water lies. The newly created land would be leased to Sifto, with restricted access.
An agreement between GPMC, the town and Sifto will provide access to port lands.
In addition to the south side of the north pier, Howe said access will be provided along North Harbour Road, at the Snug Harbour pier, and the south pier. He said there will be no access at the north side, behind the Da-Lee tank.
Stan Brudnicki, who has fished the harbour for half a century, questioned the restricted access to the north side of the harbour.
“What work is being done north of the access road that prevents us from going out and fishing on those rocks,” he asked.
Howe said the area was restricted after the tornado, and the industrial activities of the harbour will remain separate on an on-going basis.
About 40 minutes into the public meeting, Howe said, “Maybe we’ve gone to far. Maybe we’ve actually brought the barrier back too far. But we don’t know that. We’re not sure of that and the best way to find this out is to actually work with it and see how it can be managed.”
Brudnicki said his understanding was that Canadians could fish the navigable rivers. He turned to the audience and asked Coun. Jim Donnelly, a former Ontario Superior Court judge, for his opinion.
“Mr. Chairman, my name is James Michael Patrick Donnelly and I’ll answer this torrent of close to abuse with a four-letter word. And that four-letter word is J-O-B-S,” said Donnelly, who was a member of the team that negotiated agreements to allow the harbour expansion.
“I know this town as well as anyone. I’ve lived in it for 82 years. I know that Goderich took hits that no other town took. We had the tornado. We closed the Bluewater [Youth] Centre. We lost Volvo. It’s just a conglomerate all at once; it happened,” he said.
“The biggest risk in town council is to have a special agenda group advance their cause, ignoring other important features. And I say this to these sports fishermen who would abuse the town council, I say this to you: Do you know the situation the town is in? I do,” he said, listing budget requirements of $3.5 million in the core area, $2 million on the airport runway, $500,000 for downtown lights, $4.7-million TS upgrades, three per cent increase for waste disposal, and two per cent increase for recycling.
“What this town needs isn’t sports fishermen. What this town needs is jobs,” Donnelly said.
Chip Wilson, the town’s operations director, said the town is contemplating re-opening of the Snug Harbour boat launch, which was closed during relocation of the coast guard station. If it does, the issue of parking for vehicles and trailers will need to be addressed.
9 Comments on "Town will review public access to Goderich’s harbour"
So we’ve heard from Councilor Donnelly on this matter. We have more councilors no? Would like to know if any others offered their comments or did they leave it to Donnelly to do the heavy lifting? It’s time we start hearing from each councilor more often IMO. Taxpayers, voters and yes recreationists deserve no less.
Donnelly’s only one councilor among others.
It would be very naive for one to think that allowing someone to fish where they always have would jeopardize any existing or future jobs, it is very concerning to see a council member take such an aggressive stance against any special interest group. It has never been implied that Sifto Canada is not a great asset to the town of Goderich a bit of a bully yes but definitely an asset. I think what Mr. Donnelly fails to take into account is the fact that fishermen and other recreational users of the Harbor also felt the effects of industry closures, and some of us were also directly effected by the tornado. We live here, we work here and we pay taxes here, which gives us the right to have a say in what goes on in the town we choose to call our home. Here’s to hopefully realizing an agreement which takes everyone’s best interest into consideration and hopefully cooler heads will prevail amount our Elected officials.
Nathan Gibson
The people have a voice and it is even stronger when they pull together as I saw in the meeting last night. There are other ways to be heard if the Town of Goderich is not willing to open access to the river mouth on a public road – Provincial Government, Federal Government, Ministry of Envirnment, Agriculture, etc. Keep speaking out loud and we will just get louder until we are heard.
I think it’s also important to realize that one councillor doesn’t speak for the whole council. What Donnelly said is his own opinion.
What I keep nagging at my brain is what the community wants and how will the community get their views heard on both issues so that elected council takes notice?
Donnelly keeps talking about an abuse of town council. Isn’t council chambers a house of the people? Isn’t that exactly where citizens, taxpayers and any of interest SHOULD be showing up, asking questions and holding council to account?
It has occurred to me that perhaps by doing what council did they essentially passed the buck to the unelected fellows in this case. Does that seem wrong to anyone at all?
Fishers and people:1.Goderich Town Council and Compas Minerals:0. When politicians are elected or acclaimed they tend to set themselves up as the end all be all, do not question our decisions. The bed of the Maitland River to high water mark, and at the mouth high water mark is above the concrete wall. (We have pics to prove it) is owned by the Province of Ontario. The Bed of Lake Huron, and its waters are owned by the people of First Nations. If the Town of Goderich lays claim to ownership of the bed of the River and the bed of the lake in the area that is suggested be filled in then how about it is time that a copy of the respective deeds be made available to the ratepayers. I challenge Goderich Administrator,Mr. McCabe, to produce said documents. It is very disturbing to witness a most learned Lawyer and Judge retired suggest that self-interest groups are really not welcome at the council chambers. I will suggest very strongly that the Mayor and the Elected politicians are themselves a self-interest group.
Fishing is a game of patience and relaxing in nature (fortunately we no longer fish out of the necessity of food). The Mighty Maitland is a long and wide river, I do not see what benefit public access to the north harbour will grant any fishermen; the fish don’t hide here or lie in wait for the hooks to be pulled in by 11 am so they can continue their journey up the river. It is industrial land, an area where heavy equipment drives around 24/7 they have permits, safety clothing, industrial standards they must up hold. Who will protect the fishermen from these hazards (oh yes they are right now with the road being closed). What about the other areas we have lost? The old fish trail and parking lot to Pipers Dam via Mill Road? Closed by the new property owners who have every right to but none the less was used by the public for longer than I can remember (it was a great fishing hole), any meeting over this? Ball’s Bridge (saved for now)? I think this is a foot stamping issue about getting pushed off the play ground, let them have it I say, develop it and bring more jobs to our community. I will fish the other 150 kilometres of river and catch just as many if not more trout then I would at the north harbor rock wall and I won’t have to listen to a big old loader or dodge transports just to catch a trout that I would have picked up on the same bait or fly at the Saltford Bridge or Benmiller Falls.
Goderich is my second home and I’ve been coming here to my trailer, which I pay tax on, for 30 years. My children, my grandchilden have grown up here. Now being a Senior, l love to fish as of now I can still walk small parts of the Mighty Maitland. I can’t walk as much of it as I would like. There will be in the near future, I will not be able to walk it at all. Now you tell me that a person with a handicap is not welcome to fish in Goderich because you allowing them to close access to the river mouth what is left. I buy food, clothing, gas; also have supported every event Goderich puts on. I am only one person for a Camp of 37 Trailers there are three more more trailer parks with just as many people or more that spend over 8 months a year spending their money in Goderich. Food for thought: what will you do when the American company decides to leave? Then what. Loved it 30 years ago. Love it now.
With an attitude like that you may find you have no place left to enjoy your pastime one day.
I am one of these fishermen and boaters in attendance of the meeting on Dec. 3rd. I have had a variety of homes and cottages for the last 42 years in Goderich. And in all these years I have noticed ,how LITTLE the town of Goderich Council appreciates the Boaters and fishing persons. To see this, all you have to do is take a look at the boat ramps. On top of this, they charge you an abnormally high price for a ramp that is no good for some boats……I think it is time Goderich takes a look at some other towns like Kincardine where they cater to boaters and fishing.
I have spent many dollars in this area and I will keep spending more but it would be nice if the Town would try to improve their thoughts on the people like us.