Blue Mountains launches idea for South Georgian Bay catchment summit

The Blue Mountains City Council has approved the idea of ​​a catchment summit for the area.

At the July 15 meeting, the council unanimously approved a resolution by Councilmember Alex Maxwell to support the concept of a local watershed summit.

Maxwell’s resolution proposed that community members, organizations, agencies and stakeholders convene for a summit focused on the protection and management of local watersheds.

In his comments on the matter, Maxwell indicated that plans for such a summit are already in place, but he did not provide specific details.

“Other organizations will take the lead in this project,” he said.

Maxwell said the city would be invited to participate in the summit, but would not be responsible for organizing or financing the event.

“I wanted to make sure that the municipal taxpayer was not impacted,” Maxwell said.

The resolution was supported at the council table and well received.

“I’m definitely in favor of this motion,” said Councilwoman Paula Hope. “Watersheds are underrated. They contribute a lot more than people realize.”

The council also received a letter from Carl Michener, Chairman of the Blue Mountains Watershed Trust, expressing his support for the concept.

“The intent of the summit is to find a path forward to better protect and manage the area’s watersheds and their ecosystems, and to better protect area residents from future catastrophic flooding,” Michener said in his letter.

“The summit would ideally include a variety of participants, such as representatives from the City of Blue Mountains and the Town of Collingwood, Grey and Simcoe Counties, and relevant conservation authorities, along with citizens and other non-profit organizations.”

Maxwell’s full resolution can be found on the agenda here.