After reviewing the matter with the Prosecutor in the Provincial Offences Court in Bracebridge, Ontario, all charges laid in early-2019 by the Township of Muskoka Lakes against CRT Construction and Swift River Energy Limited have been settled. The terms of settlement include a donation to the Bala Cranberry Festival by Swift River Energy Limited.
“This settlement should be considered a win for Bala and Muskoka Lakes. Based on the terms of the lease and the 2016 By-law, understanding the fulsome nature of the charges as well as CRT Construction and Swift River’s legal rights, I believe the Prosecutor in this case truly protected our residents with the settlement requirement for Swift River to make a financial donation to the Bala Cranberry Festival,” said Mayor Phil Harding.
Factors considered by the Prosecutor and Township of Muskoka Lakes in reaching this decision include the complexity and time involved in prosecuting the charges, the changing availability of the evidence necessary to obtain a conviction and the uncertainty around the size of the fines which would be levied in the event that convictions were obtained.
All parties are in agreement and the file is now deemed closed.
Muskoka Lakes Township Charges Swift River With By-Law Violations