The Muskoka Lakes Association and partners welcome the Ontario Land Tribunal’s decision to once again rule in favour of our motion to dismiss the appeal of the Township of Muskoka Lakes Official Plan (TML OP) by a group of developers and dismiss the appeals in part by two aggregates industry participants. Said Ken Pearce, MLA President, “This ruling is a victory for everyone who treasures Muskoka’s unique environment. It preserves our clean water and natural shorelines by ensuring development is responsible. Our lakes and forests are a precious resource and must be
protected.”
The MLA partnered with the Skeleton Lake Cottagers Organization and the Leonard Lake
Stakeholders Association to support the Township of Muskoka Lakes and the District of
Muskoka in upholding the TML OP. The appeals would have resulted in the removal of longstanding policies protecting the unique environment of Muskoka, including limits on lot coverage and a 2,000-meter buffer zone from lakes for aggregate pits and quarries.
In its ruling, the Tribunal agreed with the Lake Associations that the developer group did not state how the TML OP was inconsistent with the Provincial Planning Statement or how it failed to conform with the District of Muskoka’s Official Plan, which was the basis of its appeal.
Appeals of the aggregates policies by Miller Paving and Lippa Quarry were also dismissed in
part for the same reasons. The groups were seeking to overturn an earlier ruling in favour of the MLA and partners in support of the plan.
“The Leonard Lake Stakeholders Association (LLSA) is pleased with the Ontario Land
Tribunal’s decision. After an exhaustive public consultation process, the TML OP, which
focuses on the environment and responsible development, will take effect. We would like to
thank the MLA for leading the defence of the TML OP and look forward to our continued
partnership to protect Muskoka.” said Mark Scarrow, President of the Leonard Lake
Stakeholders Association.
Skeleton Lake Cottagers Organization Co-President Jeff Crocker said, “The OLT’s decision
reaffirms that the Township’s OP was created in an open and fair process. While we’re pleased that the developer group’s appeals were dismissed, we’re disappointed that the appeals by aggregates industry players Lippa and Miller Paving were only dismissed in part, unlike the original ruling which dismissed them entirely. We’re confident that the Township will prevail in its efforts to protect our most precious assets – our lakes, our environment, our water. The SLCO stands ready to support that effort.”
The TML OP was passed by the Township of Muskoka Lakes Council in October 2022 and was adopted by the District of Muskoka in November 2023, following an extensive, four-year consultation process that heard from the public, including lake associations such as the MLA.
The forward-looking plan is grounded in shared values: protecting the environment, supporting responsible development and preserving Muskoka’s unique character.
The MLA and partners will continue to participate in the TML OP next steps, including the
Comprehensive Zoning By-Law update which implements the plan. The process is currently
underway and members of the public can stay informed by visiting the TML website.
The MLA and partners thank TML’s Council and Mayor Peter Kelley for their leadership in
creating and defending the visionary plan which will help ensure Muskoka is preserved and
enhanced for the future. They also thank the District of Muskoka for its support, including District Chair Jeff Lehman.
