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Public consultations begin July 4 on Lake Simcoe Protection Act
"This is the last summer to save Lake Simcoe ": organizer Philip Trow

 Bond Head - Public consultations begin this week on the Lake Simcoe Protection Act, which will be voted on this fall by the Ontario legislature. The Act, moved by Simcoe North MPP Garfield Dunlop, protects the water quality of Lake Simcoe and the Nottawasaga River by directing poorly planned development away from the green spaces on which the water depends.

Dunlop will be holding the first of four public consultations on the Act on Tuesday, July 4 in the Bradford-Bond Head area. Also attending will be Philip Trow, part of a local organization concerned with poorly planned growth; and Rick Smith, executive director of Environmental Defence. The consultation takes place at 7 p.m. at St. John's Presbyterian Church, 2940 Sideroad 10, between Bradford and Bond Head.

"Wherever I go around Lake Simcoe , people tell me we have to protect the watershed and the forests, wetlands and working farms on which it depends," said Dunlop. "I want to hear more because as pressure mounts for the wrong kind of development time's running out to protect what makes the Lake Simcoe area special."

The Lake Simcoe Protection Act is modelled on existing Ontario laws that protect natural heritage, such as the Niagara Escarpment, Oak Ridges Moraine and last year's historic Greenbelt . The Greenbelt protects sensitive lands crucial to healthy watersheds in areas to the lake's south and east, but Simcoe County was not included.

"There's a real grassroots movement to protect what makes this area so special," said Trow. "We can't afford to pave over everything as poorly planned development threatens to hurt water quality and make already bad traffic even worse. The good news is there are alternatives and the Lake Simcoe Protection Act is the kind of common sense approach the area needs."

Campaign Lake Simcoe, an umbrella organization of several local and provincial groups, is stepping up efforts to protect the area's water. Recently, it launched a new website ( www.campaignlakesimcoe.ca ) and lake-wide events are planned by groups such as Ladies of the Lake , who last summer published a smash hit calendar to raise awareness.

Other consultations are planned for July 17 in the Keswick-Georgina area; July 25 in Alliston and August 8 in Barrie.