As reported in the Toronto Star (see link below)
http://www.thestar.com/news/article/953930--wasaga-beach-businesswoman-warns-of-cottage-crackdown
Home and Property Owners who have for the last 30 plus years rented out their homes and small cottages could be faced with fines of $ 25,000 for the first offence and $ 10,000 for each offence afterwards if they rent out their property this summer. According to the town the issue is noise complaints that people party until the early hours preventing year round home owners the enjoyment of the homes. The town will send out by-law enforcement to lay charges, but where's the by-law department in trying to control the noise? During the Municipal election I heard complaint after complaint from voters that the by-law department does nothing. People call them and they don't show up, and the odd time that they do they just stand around, and still do nothing. No fines issued, nothing!
Yes the article had one motel owner praising the actions of the Mayor and why is that? It's because if council is successful in shutting down these rentals then the people who rent them will either spend there vacation time in Collingwood or Blue Mountain, or they will stay in one of the many motels that even with the great weather last season had a hard time filling up their rooms.
This is a very serious issue facing Wasaga Beach, and this is another example of the town council being out of touch with the needs of our business community. They only spend $ 50,000 a year promoting the town to the outside world, and then council approves spending $ 50,000 on hiring a consultant to report back to council on what to do with the property that the towns owns along beach area 2.
Wow, spend $ 50,000 for some report, when all you need to do is spend a couple of thousand dollars asking residents and visitors what they would like to see along beach area 1 and 2. Patterson even said that business was booming along beach area 1 last summer as the receiver for the bankrupt properties and businesses had them open and made lots of money. So Patterson who got the profits made last summer? Did the receiver pay all the back taxes and hydro bills which was close to $ 600,000??? The answer is NO, they did not, and the money they made went back to Toronto and was not invested in the community.
Great job Cal, keep it up and in a few years nobody will be coming to Wasaga Beach!
Until next time!
This is a major financial blow to the town, all that money from the GTA will now go elsewhere.
ReplyDeleteHow dumb can one mayor be?
This is a threat action, not a realistic one. In order for them to convict anyone of renting illegally, they need to go to court and prove that the home was used as a rental. They owner will simply say that the "renters" were friends and family. And, most times no paper trail exists anyhow.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with this. It might make Patterson look good to the people who hate the tourism industry, but it makes him look like a fool to those of us who know the law a little better.
I took my second visit to Canada in October just gone and Wasaga beach was the destination I picked this time. I rented a small place, 3139 Mosely Street if my memory serves me right. A stone throw away from the beach. And I loved it. A lot of money which is pumped into Wasaga I imagine is from tourists like myself. I would come back and stay in a heart beat, and I'm from England. Which is why coming across such an article surprises me. It was only a week or so that I was due to fly over the Mayor was engaging in conversation with me via e-mail about Wasaga and how he would be delighted to meet me. I like a beer and had a few friends over, but can guarantee the neighbours never heard a dicky bird from us. The actual culprits should be punished, nobody else. Although now, chances are I'm not willing to rent somewhere off somebody who could possibly be fined such an extortionate amount.
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