Roger Varley has been in the news business almost 40 years with The Canadian Press/Broadcast News, Uxbnridge Times-Journal, Richmond Hill Liberal and Uxbridge Cosmos. Co-winner with two others of CCNA national feature writing award. In Scout movement over 30 years, almost 25 as a leader. Took Uxbridge youths to World Jamboree in Holland. Involved in community theatre for 20 years as actor, director, playwright, stage manager etc. Born in England, came to Canada at 16, lived most of life north and east of Toronto with a five-year period in B.C.
You can't fight city hall
It's an age-old tenet that ignorance of the law is no excuse.
The same holds true for municipal bylaws, as some local residents have found out in recent weeks and months. Two residents, for example, found that their claimed lack of knowledge regarding Uxbridge Township's fire bylaw did them little good. One, who actually told council recently he did not know about the need for a fire permit, found out he was on the hook for a $1,300 bill from the fire department who were called to a fire in his backyard. A second opined that he must have had the wrong type of fire permit.
These excuses really don't pass muster. Property ownership comes with responsibility. If a person is a homeowner or property owner, it is incumbent on that person to make sure they are not running afoul of any bylaws before they proceed with some action that could be considered, in a loose sense, out of the norm. Erecting an out building in the backyard or on the back 30, for instance, could be considered out of the norm because it is not something you do every day. It only takes a call to the municipal offices to find out if permits are needed and, if so, what restrictions apply and what regulations must be followed. A simple call can save major headaches later.
And while one can sympathize with community-minded residents who have attempted to dress up some of our boulevards with small flower beds to make them more attractive, surely - somewhere in the back of their minds - they must have realized that they were planting on property not owned by them but the municipality. Such residents have been told they must remove these small oases from the boulevards. I think this attitude on the part of the Township is wrong, since I have never seen one of these oases present any danger either to vehicular or pedestrian traffic, but a bylaw is a bylaw.
Nor do I agree with the sign bylaw which prohibits homeowners erecting any signs on their property other than real estate signs or election signs within the prescribed period. But a bylaw is a bylaw.
Anyone disagreeing with any Township bylaw - or any part of it - is always free to either write their local councillor or the mayor or make a deputation in front of Council. It doesn't necessarily mean you will manage to have the bylaw changed or rescinded, but you will receive a compassionate and understanding hearing from our local council. I made a brief pitch to council myself a couple of years ago, pointing out how - in my opinion - some of the bylaws introduced actually went against the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. It didn't change anything, but at least I had a hearing.
I have watched an untold number of deputations before Council over the years and never is anyone treated unfairly or without respect. That doesn't mean, however, that our councillors are pussycats. In several appearances before council earlier this year, Luke Dillon of Zephyr, who wanted to - and eventually did - bring a moto-cross event to the township, found that councillors can be tough and ask tough questions.
I have seen and heard councillors argue in support of deputants from time to time, because - when you get down to it - they, too, are residents of this township and the bylaws affect them as well.
But the one thing you cannot do is pick a fight with city hall. A number of years ago, a large contingent from VOCAL showed up at Uxbridge council chambers to seek support in their fight against the Pickering airport project. However, when they vociferously argued against Mayor Gerri Lynn O'Connor's edict that they could not videotape the proceedings, they learned the hard way: the mayor simply adjourned the meeting, leaving their leader to come - cap in hand, as it were - to beg for another chance to address council without the videotaping.
And this week, when a deputant issued the veiled threat of legal action if he didn't have his fire bill reduced, the mayor simply closed off discussion of his complaint.
If you have a problem with the Township, by all means go and talk to them, call them or write to them. You will be heard. But it seems to me that if you go looking for a fight, you'll find one.
Tell me, am I wrong?
