Protestors to challenge plans for new Tiny Township municipal office on Wednesday
Plans to build a new municipal building in Tiny Township continue to raise the ire of its residents.
More than 150 people protested at Tiny's council office in January, calling for council to halt its plans. Tensions have grown since then.
"It's truly a council that is not listening," said Paul Cowley, President of the Federation of Tiny Township Shoreline Associations (FoTTSA).
Some residents have taken issue with the cost of a new building slated to be constructed on township-owned land on Concession 9. According to Cowley, they're also upset with what they perceive as an unwillingness from council to listen to its residents.
"we've never said, 'don't properly provide proper office space,'" Cowley said. "What we've said is it doesn't need to be a $27 million building."
Dave Wulff, a Tiny Township resident, said the feeling is that the council is moving secretively and expeditiously despite constant pleas from the community.
An online petition started earlier this year has garnered thousands of signatures.
"They've hidden behind all sorts of secret meetings; they've held all sorts of meetings that we're not privy to the result of," Wulff said. "The statistics and comparisons between what they (Tiny Township) have and what they want to have for the number of people who live in Tiny and the number of people who will be in the office are dramatic."
Tiny Township earmarked its 57-year-old administration office for replacement in 2014.
- Download the CTV News app free to get local news alerts
- Don't miss breaking news - Sign up for the CTV Newsletter
According to Tiny's mayor, the current building is an aging structure with an inaccessible design.
"It is necessary because we don't have room," Mayor Dave Evans told CTV News. "We've got people working in closests. We've got seven different facilities. The original from 1967 requires substantial cost just to run and maintain. We're at a point now where combining seven facilities into one, provides us with a whole number of advantages, not just economic."
Some residents would prefer to see the township add an extension to its current site, as assessed in the three options Tiny's council had to choose from.
Asked to explain why council wants to proceed with the new-build option, which has a higher upfront cost, Mayor Evans said he could not speak on behalf of what "each person was feeling at the time," but can only speak on behalf of what council did. A report was given to council listing its options during a council meeting earlier this month.
"We have provided multiple plans," the mayor said regarding a perceived lack of public consultation. "There are three different options that were presented in the report in our last council meeting over a 300-page report. The large number of the report has been involving staff requirements, something that's not public information. The public portion of the building is still under consideration and we will be having public consultation sessions upcoming where the public will be involved to participate both virtually and in-person."
A planned protest is scheduled to take place ahead of Wednesday night's council meeting.
Paul Cowley is also expected to speak, with his letter expressing his concerns and those of other residents listed on Tiny's agenda.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Poilievre says Canadians 'fleeing' to Nicaragua, Liberals say it shows he 'doesn't have a clue'
Liberal parliamentarians are criticizing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre over a new video in which he promotes the idea that some Canadians are 'fleeing' Canada to live in Nicaragua because they can't afford a house in this country.
Canadians are eyeing moves to these cities for more affordable housing
Faced with elevated housing prices, half of Canadians in the country's largest cities are considering moving to places with more affordable housing.
Trudeau must more publicly support ICC decisions amid Israel-Hamas war: ex-ministers
A group of prominent former politicians and current academics is asking Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to change his tone on the possibility of arrest warrants for senior Israeli leaders.
'Do not drive': Nissan warns Canadian drivers of explosion risk impacting 48,000 vehicles
Car manufacturer Nissan has issued a do-not-drive warning for some older vehicles equipped with Takata airbag inflators, due to the risk of explosion during a crash.
Infant dies in ATV crash, N.S. RCMP says alcohol may be a factor
An infant has died and three others, including another child, were taken to hospital following an ATV crash in Forties, N.S., on Monday.
Police clear intersection of pro-Palestinian protesters on UBC campus
Police have moved on pro-Palestinian protesters at the University of British Columbia campus in Vancouver, with video on social media showing lines of officers advancing on demonstrators rallying at a main intersection.
Tessa Virtue reveals she's expecting her first child. Here's what Canadians had to say
Canadian figure-skating icon Tessa Virtue is expecting her first child, she revealed via social media Tuesday.
'Scandals and secrets': On board the world's most exclusive private residential ship
It’s a floating city exclusively home to the 1 per cent, a playground for multimillionaires and billionaires that circumnavigates the world's oceans.
New Orleans mystery: Human skull padlocked to a dumbbell is pulled out of water by a fisherman
New Orleans mystery: Human skull padlocked to a dumbbell is pulled out of water by a fisherman