Flato Developments has submitted this design concept for the development, which could change over time. (City of Kawartha Lakes)
Some residents of a small village in Ontario’s cottage country are speaking out against a proposed development that would see farmland turned into a golf course resort and housing.
The Kawartha Bay project in Cameron, Ont., located approximately 150 kilometres northeast of Toronto in the City of Kawartha Lakes, is being proposed by Markham-based Flato Developments. It would feature an 18-hole golf course interspersed with 339 seasonal homes, 84 rentals, a clubhouse, restaurant and a refurbished marina.
Flato is asking Kawartha city council to rezone 156 hectares of land it owns — most of which is currently designated for agricultural or rural uses — to “tourist commercial” to allow the resort to operate. The development would be serviced by privately-owned facilities for treating drinking water and wastewater.
“Flato looks forward to expanding tourism and supporting this idyllic community, while preserving the natural beauty and heritage of the area,” the developer’s website reads.
“The introduction of a recreational resort will provide sustained economic growth, enhance the infrastructure in the community and offer diversified tourism with four-season appeal.”
But Margaret Carroll, a 66-year-old retiree who grew up in the same home she now lives in with her husband in Cameron, disagrees with that vision.
“Personally, I think it will basically destroy our life,” said Carrol. “The life that we have now will totally be gone.”
At a meeting of the City of Kawartha Lakes planning committee on Sept. 13, planning consultant Matthew Cory of Malone Givens Parsons appeared on behalf of Flato and said the “world-class” golf course will be designed by Doug Carrick — who he called a “pre-eminent” designer of golf courses in Ontario.
Cory said at least 25 per cent of the land would be designated as environmentally protected.
“The reason we’ve only submitted a zoning amendment at this time was to codify and look at the principle of development and, more importantly, to establish the areas that can be developed and the ones that cannot. And the ones that cannot are the ones that need to be protected for natural heritage protection,” Cory told the meeting.
A majority of residents who spoke at that meeting opposed the development, raising concerns about the loss of farmland, possible harm to delicate ecosystems and that the resort will cater to rich customers, rather than locals.
Kawartha Lakes Coun. Mike Perry, whose ward includes the village of Cameron, said he’s heard the concerns of the community loud and clear, and that he’ll be working to address them through the development application process.
“We’re facing a huge wave of growth up here the next few years and we need to grow responsibly, which means assessing applications on a case-by-case basis,” he said.
Flato Developments’ founder and president, Shakir Rehmatullah was behind three successful requests to remove land from the Greenbelt last fall, according to the province’s integrity commissioner’s report into the Greenbelt controversy, before Premier Doug Ford announced a reversal. Rehmatullah’s a friend of Ford and of Kaleed Rasheed, the Progressive Conservative MPP who resigned this week after news reports raised questions about their time together on a trip to Las Vegas.
