PLEASE HELP US TO KEEP MUSKOKA "Once Discovered, Never Forgotten" for what makes us a popular destination for lakes, rivers, forests, nature and beauty. It is time to Protect and Stop Development on natural heritage lands - to stop the blasting, the harming of endangered species and significant wildlife, the razing of forests and polluting of lakes and wetlands.
UPDATE May 2025: Legal counsel advised us that the OLT decision contained three major errors of law, in November 2023 SBEPG filed a Motion for Leave to Appeal the OLT decision at the Ontario Superior Court of Justice. We were advised in late April 2025 that our Leave to Appeal was not granted and therefore the Appeal will not be heard. This essentially ends our ability to contest the Town of Bracebridge Rulings to date. This is obviously disappointing, but not surprising given other recent OLT rulings in the current political environment. Our wins - increased buffers around the wetlands, environmental impact assessments to be completed at each of 5 building sites and the designation of the wetlands by the Ontario Government as Provincially Significant. We will continue to advocate for protection of the designated South Bracebridge Provincially Significant Wetlands. Thank you to all of our supporters!
UPDATE January 2024: A Leave to Appeal to the Courts re the decision of the Member of the Ontario Land Tribunal was filed by SBEPG in November 2023. We did have a few wins in that the buffers around the wetlands were increased and further environmental studies must be performed prior to development. We will continue our fight to protect these environmentally sensitive lands and will let you know if our appeal is granted. At that time we hope our supporters can help us with legal funds. Thank you for your continued support to preserve and protect Muskoka for future generations.
UPDATE October 2023: In a disappointing result, the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT) upheld the rezoning and Official Plan Amendment, but the OLT did stipulate some important conditions for the developer, Muskoka Royale College. Larger setbacks were required for the wetlands and the completion of Environmental Impact Assessments of each of the 5 building sites was required before development could proceed. It was progress, but not enough.
UPDATE June 23, 2023: The wetlands on the Muskoka Royale lands and some adjacent lands were designated as PROVINCIALLY SIGNIFICANT. With the help of donations, an Ontario Wetland Evaluation Study was performed by a Ministry trained wetland evaluator and the wetlands met the strict criteria under the Ministry of Natural Resources December 2022 Northern Wetlands Manual to be designated provincially significant. The wetlands were OFFICIALLY named the SOUTH BRACEBRIDGE PROVINCIALLY SIGNIFICANT WETLAND COMPLEX on June 23, 2023. We are still awaiting a decision of the Ontario Land Tribunal with regards to the appeal of the development of the Muskoka Royale College which was concluded in January 2023.
UPDATE FEBRUARY 2023: On January 19 closing arguments were heard at the appeal. We are currently awaiting the outcome of the appeal and will post when Member/Vice-Chair returns with his decision regarding this.
UPDATE January 2023 at 10 a.m. continuation of Appeal commenced with a week of the appellant's witnesses' providing evidence.
UPDATE October 2022: The Town of Bracebridge evidence commenced on September 20, 2022 and was completed on October 19, 2022. SBEPG Inc. will have their expert witnesses evidence put before the Tribunal Member, Hugh Wilkins, on January 12, 2023 in continuation of this appeal.
UPDATE April 2022: The South Bracebridge Environmental Protection Group Inc. has filed an appeal to the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal (LPAT) now the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT) for both the rezoning approval by the Town of Bracebridge and the District of Muskoka change to the Official Plan Amendment to allow for the devastating Muskoka Royale College development. A Case Management Conference (CMC) was held September 20, 2021 by the OLT and we were represented by our lawyer David Donnelly. Read more about David Donnelly here. Participant Statements had a deadline extension of October 31, 2021 to be considered at the 2nd Case conference on January 21, 2022.
At the second Case Conference on January 21, 2022 there were an amazing abundance of statements supporting our appeal and the Member requested that they be consolidated, signed and acknowledge by those who submitted them and be presented at the Hearing as one common statement on September 19, 2022 for consideration. Therefore OLT Tribunal Member Andrews made no decision on their acceptance for participant status. We also were allowed to submit two other distinct statements that dealt with other important issues as to why this development should not go ahead. Statements originally accepted at the September 20, 2021 case conference still stand.
The development was opposed by thousands of our supporters and we will continue to say no, build elsewhere on a more suitable site. Stay informed and join our mailing list or Facebook page and check back here for updates. If you are able, please donate to our legal defense fund. Thank you for your continued support.
Background:
On February 20, 2021 as thousands of the public including a land planner, legal team, environmental consultants and even Ontario Nature opposed the application and requested more studies including an Ontario Wetlands Evaluation Study.
The outgoing Mayor Graydon Smith (later appointed Minister of Natural Resources by Doug Ford) and Councilors of the Town of Bracebridge DID NOT LISTEN TO THE PUBLIC VOICE and still approved the rezoning of lands from PASSIVE Open Space to INTENSIVE Institutional to allow for a sprawling private independent private school on environmentally sensitive wetlands, forests, rock barrens which are home to over:
The Town ignored public requests for an Ontario Wetlands Evaluation, further Species at Risk studies and an update to the 2004 Environmental Assessment of the West Transportation Corridor. A Economic Viability study, Compatibility and Suitability studies were some of the other requests. Without listening to the public voice and doing their due diligence, the Town and District approved the Rezoning and Official Plan Amendment.
There are obviously more suitable sites...this is not the one!
PLEASE NOTE in the photo below Henry Marsh is the smaller wetland in far top left hand corner...the larger water body in the photo is another wetland closest to Stephen's Bay Road. Bracebridge Town Council, the former Mayor and the District approved re-zoning for an elementary international school and boarding facility to be built in this area as well as the District approved the Highway 118 By Pass would CUT RIGHT THROUGH THESE PROVINCIALLY SIGNIFICANT WETLANDS!
It is that range of biodiversity that we must care for – the whole thing – rather than just one or two stars. ~ David Attenborough
UPDATE May 2025: Legal counsel advised us that the OLT decision contained three major errors of law, in November 2023 SBEPG filed a Motion for Leave to Appeal the OLT decision at the Ontario Superior Court of Justice. We were advised in late April 2025 that our Leave to Appeal was not granted and therefore the Appeal will not be heard. This essentially ends our ability to contest the Town of Bracebridge Rulings to date. This is obviously disappointing, but not surprising given other recent OLT rulings in the current political environment. Our wins - increased buffers around the wetlands, environmental impact assessments to be completed at each of 5 building sites and the designation of the wetlands by the Ontario Government as Provincially Significant. We will continue to advocate for protection of the designated South Bracebridge Provincially Significant Wetlands. Thank you to all of our supporters!
UPDATE January 2024: A Leave to Appeal to the Courts re the decision of the Member of the Ontario Land Tribunal was filed by SBEPG in November 2023. We did have a few wins in that the buffers around the wetlands were increased and further environmental studies must be performed prior to development. We will continue our fight to protect these environmentally sensitive lands and will let you know if our appeal is granted. At that time we hope our supporters can help us with legal funds. Thank you for your continued support to preserve and protect Muskoka for future generations.
UPDATE October 2023: In a disappointing result, the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT) upheld the rezoning and Official Plan Amendment, but the OLT did stipulate some important conditions for the developer, Muskoka Royale College. Larger setbacks were required for the wetlands and the completion of Environmental Impact Assessments of each of the 5 building sites was required before development could proceed. It was progress, but not enough.
UPDATE June 23, 2023: The wetlands on the Muskoka Royale lands and some adjacent lands were designated as PROVINCIALLY SIGNIFICANT. With the help of donations, an Ontario Wetland Evaluation Study was performed by a Ministry trained wetland evaluator and the wetlands met the strict criteria under the Ministry of Natural Resources December 2022 Northern Wetlands Manual to be designated provincially significant. The wetlands were OFFICIALLY named the SOUTH BRACEBRIDGE PROVINCIALLY SIGNIFICANT WETLAND COMPLEX on June 23, 2023. We are still awaiting a decision of the Ontario Land Tribunal with regards to the appeal of the development of the Muskoka Royale College which was concluded in January 2023.
UPDATE FEBRUARY 2023: On January 19 closing arguments were heard at the appeal. We are currently awaiting the outcome of the appeal and will post when Member/Vice-Chair returns with his decision regarding this.
UPDATE January 2023 at 10 a.m. continuation of Appeal commenced with a week of the appellant's witnesses' providing evidence.
UPDATE October 2022: The Town of Bracebridge evidence commenced on September 20, 2022 and was completed on October 19, 2022. SBEPG Inc. will have their expert witnesses evidence put before the Tribunal Member, Hugh Wilkins, on January 12, 2023 in continuation of this appeal.
UPDATE April 2022: The South Bracebridge Environmental Protection Group Inc. has filed an appeal to the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal (LPAT) now the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT) for both the rezoning approval by the Town of Bracebridge and the District of Muskoka change to the Official Plan Amendment to allow for the devastating Muskoka Royale College development. A Case Management Conference (CMC) was held September 20, 2021 by the OLT and we were represented by our lawyer David Donnelly. Read more about David Donnelly here. Participant Statements had a deadline extension of October 31, 2021 to be considered at the 2nd Case conference on January 21, 2022.
At the second Case Conference on January 21, 2022 there were an amazing abundance of statements supporting our appeal and the Member requested that they be consolidated, signed and acknowledge by those who submitted them and be presented at the Hearing as one common statement on September 19, 2022 for consideration. Therefore OLT Tribunal Member Andrews made no decision on their acceptance for participant status. We also were allowed to submit two other distinct statements that dealt with other important issues as to why this development should not go ahead. Statements originally accepted at the September 20, 2021 case conference still stand.
The development was opposed by thousands of our supporters and we will continue to say no, build elsewhere on a more suitable site. Stay informed and join our mailing list or Facebook page and check back here for updates. If you are able, please donate to our legal defense fund. Thank you for your continued support.
Background:
On February 20, 2021 as thousands of the public including a land planner, legal team, environmental consultants and even Ontario Nature opposed the application and requested more studies including an Ontario Wetlands Evaluation Study.
The outgoing Mayor Graydon Smith (later appointed Minister of Natural Resources by Doug Ford) and Councilors of the Town of Bracebridge DID NOT LISTEN TO THE PUBLIC VOICE and still approved the rezoning of lands from PASSIVE Open Space to INTENSIVE Institutional to allow for a sprawling private independent private school on environmentally sensitive wetlands, forests, rock barrens which are home to over:
- 204 species documented on the subject lands
- 20 of which are Species At Risk (SAR)
- 7 endangered species (Blanding’s turtles, eastern hog-nosed snakes, barn swallows, bobolinks, eastern meadowlarks, least bitterns and bank swallows)
The Town ignored public requests for an Ontario Wetlands Evaluation, further Species at Risk studies and an update to the 2004 Environmental Assessment of the West Transportation Corridor. A Economic Viability study, Compatibility and Suitability studies were some of the other requests. Without listening to the public voice and doing their due diligence, the Town and District approved the Rezoning and Official Plan Amendment.
There are obviously more suitable sites...this is not the one!
PLEASE NOTE in the photo below Henry Marsh is the smaller wetland in far top left hand corner...the larger water body in the photo is another wetland closest to Stephen's Bay Road. Bracebridge Town Council, the former Mayor and the District approved re-zoning for an elementary international school and boarding facility to be built in this area as well as the District approved the Highway 118 By Pass would CUT RIGHT THROUGH THESE PROVINCIALLY SIGNIFICANT WETLANDS!
It is that range of biodiversity that we must care for – the whole thing – rather than just one or two stars. ~ David Attenborough
The South Bracebridge Environmental Protection Group Inc (SBEPG) is a registered non-profit corporation.
Contact us at [email protected]
Contact us at [email protected]
Copyright South Bracebridge Environmental Protection Group 2019-2025