Hosted by local municipal issues columnist Dave Dale, in the Small Town Times clip featured above, lakefront resident and former city councillor Dave Mendicino makes the argument that Trout Lake should start developing lots that have been left in limbo by decades-old regulations while BayToday City Hall reporter Stu Campaigne discusses the importance of the decisions to come and the pressures North Bay City Council members will face in making them.
A Trout Lake watershed public consultation process in 2022 was followed by a presentation from J.L. Richards & Associates Ltd., in November 2023. The firm was hired in 2021 to conduct a watershed study, prepare a management plan for Trout Lake, and provide planning and consulting services to complete the required Official Plan Amendments and Zoning By-law Amendments. J.L. Richards worked with Hutchinson Environmental Sciences Ltd. to draw on its expertise in lake assessment and management. It is the first comprehensive study of the watershed since 1992.
See the Trout Lake Study project's overview, phases, timeline, and other resources here.
According to the City of North Bay, the "Trout Lake Watershed and Management Study was initiated as a comprehensive review of lake quality and the review of current policies and provisions around the protection and management of Trout Lake. In total, the study provides 28 recommendations to improve current practices and ultimately protect the health of the lake."
Surveyors from Tulloch also addressed North Bay City Council later in November 2023, during a meeting that followed the consultants' presentation and urged the members to consider further Trout Lake watershed development.
In turn, the Trout Lake Conservation Association (TLCA) is voicing its concern about development on the lake, and how this development could affect our drinking water.
In the full podcast episode, available on the North Bay Echo Community Podcast Network, Small Town Times founder Dale is joined by Mendicino and Campaigne as the trio covers a wide range of topics with a focus on 2023 and a look at the year ahead.
Besides the future development of lots and the protection of water quality in the Trout Lake watershed, the podcast covers the proposed renaming of Chippewa Intermediate and Secondary School, the twin-pad community centre saga, the often-maligned budgeting process, and the much-anticipated operational review of city departments and the reconstruction of Cassellholme (as well as a new board for Castle Arms).
The Small Town Times channel has joined with North Bay Echo as part of a network of podcasts focusing on our community. This and other community-driven podcast offerings can be found at North Bay Echo.
