7. a) 5. Trash and Garbage Issue on James A. Gifford Causeway Prepared by Brad Sinclair
7. a) 5. Who is Brad Sinclair? • Life time resident and home owner Selwyn Township • Property owner in North Kawartha (I split my time between two properties) • Father of 3 children ages 8, 6 and 4. Husband of Susan for 13 years • Realtor with Flat Rate Realty • Past firefighter with Selwyn Township from 1999 to 2015 and Current Lieutenant Officer with the North Kawartha Fire Department
7. a) 5. The story how I got here presenting to you, Peterborough County Council • A few weeks ago I purchased a kayak to enjoy our waterways and get a workout. I started my workouts on Long Lake in North Kawartha. This is what I saw.
7. a) 5. What I seen On Chemong Lake • I brought my Kayak to my home in Ennismore. On the morning of August 8/2017 I went for a kayak ride on Chemong Lake. My plan was to circle the Causeway. What I witnessed was appalling. Garbage and tons of it.
7. a) 5. What I seen • Counted over 40 Styrofoam discarded worm containers. • I seen one adult diaper • Water bottles and food containers
7. a) 5. What I did • I was upset at what I seen. I decided to post it on my Facebook. It went viral as viral as any post I have ever seen. • I tagged three council members of Selwyn township including Mayor and Deputy Mayor so they would see the issue.
7. a) 5. What was the result • The community shared and posted their opinions to a point the media locally and in Toronto picked it up. • I had many people calling me to take the issue to the next level. • I decided if anything was ever to be done about the garbage then yes, I will fight for my community to make it a cleaner, safer place including for my own family's benefit.
7. a) 5. Friday August 11 th /2017 • Lance Anderson of Peterborough this Week tracked down and interviewed Ben Martin who worked the causeway cleaning litter and enforcing bylaws from 1997 to 1998 • 20 years ago this same issue was tried to be solved with a full time student cleaning up after the anglers. This student was also sworn in giving him authority to issue tickets. • Martin stated it was difficult to prove who littered • Martin collected two tons of garbage over two years • Martin witnessed traffic and pedestrian safety issues • Martin works as a outdoor advocacy for outdoor activities in Ontario. He does not agree with a fishing ban along the causeway but understands why people are calling for one.
7. a) 5. August 12/2017 • Cody Orgill and his father Ken take on the task to clean up the Causeway. • They spent 4 hours cleaning and took away a truck load of garbage • Cory and Ken did all this with no safety gear and put themselves at risk • They picked up mostly what I saw on my trip, worm containers, bags and cans. They found a tire and drug paraphernalia. • Orgill says he came across an area where someone had went to the bathroom then covered it up • Quoted in saying ‘It was a dirty job” • Selwyn waved tipping fees to the Orgill’s • Orgill would like to make this an annual clean up
7. a) 5. August 14/2017 • 48 hours after the clean up this is what I saw • I took hundreds of pictures nothing of the same thing twice.
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7. a) 5. Local Reaction People and businesses in the area are tired of cleaning up after anglers. Here is some of their points • Tired of seeing people going to the bathroom in plain sight. • Tired of cleaning up floating garbage • Issues with turning from Kelly Blvd to Bridge Rd because of parked cars on the causeway • Loading and unloading of equipment on the middle of the Causeway (stopping cars on the travelled roadway with 4 ways on) • Having vehicles struck from casting bait behind them onto the roadway • Watching boaters yell at fisherman starting altercations • Scared that someone is going to be seriously hurt by a car • Garbage on the Causeway and Park at the end of the bridge • Activity on Causeway and people talking all hours of the night
7. a) 5. Liability Only staff and lawyers can answer this question. It truly needs to be asked. What happens when someone gets seriously hurt on public property not suitable for walking, climbing and fishing? The County will not allow their employees to enter this area for clean up why is it deemed safe for the public?
7. a) 5. The worst thing ever has happened before in our area • As I said before I was on the Selwyn Fire Department. Approximately 13-15 years ago a young boy was stuck and killed by a car when he hopped the guard rail excited that he caught a fish. He stepped in front of a car on the Gannon’s Narrows Bridge. I was at that scene and it will be with me for the rest of my life. I would never want to see or hear of a tragic accident like this again. If it happen once it is only a matter of time before someone else gets hit on the narrow roadway.
7. a) 5. Solutions I have put many hours reading, talking and thinking about how do we solve this issue. I have 3 solutions to council to wrestle with.
7. a) 5. Clean up after the people who make the mess • Hire a student or seasonal worker to walk the Causeway everyday to clean up the mess not put in the trash cans. (as done in the past) • Place more bins around the area and empty more frequently • Porta potties placed on both ends of causeway for people to use the bathrooms so urine and bowel movements are not done into the lake • Replace the tired old signs not to litter.
7. a) 5. Enforcement of the bylaws • Hire bylaw enforcers to keep an eye on the litters. Catch the few who litter and fine them. • Have MNR make their presence known in the area • Have OPP make their presence known in the area • Parking in the area must be enforced
7. a) 5. OR
7. a) 5. Complete Ban on Trespassing on Unsafe County Property • This will solve the age old problem of garbage on the Causeway • No one will get killed walking to and from their fishing spot • Liability of allowing the public to use this unsafe area is minimized • Property damage will stop • Urine and bowel movements will not end up into the lake
7. a) 5. Thank you This is a huge issue that has been brought up year after year to the county. This issue needs to be solved. The do nothing or very little has not worked over the years. Education of litters does not work. I am asking Council to come up with a plan and execute the plan to solve this gross, tragic issue.
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