The possibility of allowing vehicular access to Kempenfelt Bay at Johnson's Beach for anglers to place their ice huts on the lake got a frosty reception from councillors Monday night.
Coun. Clare Riepma, who represents Ward 1 in the city's east end, raised the idea at last night's general committee meeting of providing a bylaw exemption and removing the bollards from the beach so that people could move their huts onto the lake for the upcoming ice-fishing season, which starts Jan. 15 and continues until March 15.
"Since the beginning of time, people have been going across Johnson's Beach to ice-fish in the wintertime," said Riepma, adding the city has "tacitly" permitted vehicular access for many years.
However, the city has done some reconstruction work at Johnson's Beach recently which has included the installation of bollards to prevent larger vehicles from accessing the beach.
"I've been approached by at least one operator who can't get his ice huts out there, as he has done for something like 30 years," said Riepma, who added ice-fishing has a significant economic impact on the area and should be fostered. "Why would we want to stand in the way of a sport ... that many people participate in?"
In a memo from city staff, it was noted that vehicular access to Johnson's Beach has "historically" been forbidden through the city bylaw, in conjunction with boulders and a gate. The city's reconstruction project at the park led to the removal of the boulders, replacing them bollards to prevent such access.
Director of roads, parks and fleet Dave Friary said vehicle access has been restricted by use of boulders, prior to the recent construction project, "for as long as I can remember," including gates that could open up the park for beach cleaning, etc.
For a brief period of time in 2019, between the removal of the barrier and installation of the bollards, some people may have accessed the lake with their vehicles, but it would have been contrary to the municipal bylaw, said Ingrid Peters, the city's director of legal services.
Neither city operations staff nor bylaw enforcement officials support a proposed bylaw exemption, primarily due to "damage, refuse and pollution," said Peters, who added such an exemption could also lead to further requests from people involved in other activities, such as windsurfing and kayaking.
"If the ice-fishing exemption were granted, there may no valid reason for the city to deny future exemptions," she said, adding there's also "general concern" with liability and the invitation to lake access if a bylaw exemption was passed.
There are also warm-water outlets in the park area which can lead to freeze/thaw cycles in the area which may not be experienced elsewhere around the lake and possibly causing unsafe conditions.
"You could have warm stormwater which is laden with salt and things, as well, so it wouldn't necessarily freeze over," Friary added. "I can't see it being frozen over by next week.
"Anywhere we have storm outlets into the bay, we could have problems," he added.
City staff does not monitor ice thickness and therefore cannot be responsible for deeming the ice safe in certain areas.
Although there are warning signs in the area, a bylaw exemption regarding vehicular access to the lake could be interpreted as suggesting the ice is safe, Peters said, and therefore increase the risk of liability.
Deputy Mayor Barry Ward said he believes there is a "great liability and we shouldn't be encouraging people to go on the ice there, especially when there's an ice warning (posted)."
Riepma said it doesn't appear that safety or liability issues have been an issue in the past, so "I'm not so sure that's a real concern that we should be worried about."
Riepma said the only change for him seems to be the installation of the bollards.
"I don't know why we suddenly have concerns about the thin ice," he added. "It's been that way for all these years that it's been used. ... I don't want to put a sign up saying 'stay out of my park', you know, that just doesn't sit well with me. We're here to serve the public."
City staff also noted that there are other "approved locations" around the bay where people can drive their vehicles onto the ice, such as the Tiffin Boat Launch, Barrie Marina, and the Lismer Boulevard road allowance near Minet's Point on the other side of the lake.
Friary also noted there's lake access just outside the city limits in neighbouring Oro-Medonte Township.
A vote on the proposed bylaw exemption last night at general committee failed, with Riepma's being the only vote in support.
City council meets next Monday night.
