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Vocal locals squash campus RV site

If you booked there, you have been rebooked elsewhere

After receiving plenty of negative feedback Northern College has removed its facilities from RV use during this summer's 8-day 'Stars and Thunder' festival.

Last week's city council meeting featured concerns raised by local citizens over the close proximity of the site to residential areas. A staff member from St. Joseph School on nearby Huot Street told council that kids will still be in school the last week of June, and the idea of having a mass gathering of concert goers so close to the school did not sit well with her. She touched on noise, campfires, drugs, swearing, and randoms potentially wandering into the school yard.

Councillor Rick Dubeau was perturbed that the city was already taking bookings at the campus site without proper council approval to temporarily alter the zoning bylaw.

The item was not on the council agenda this week, but at the conclusion of Monday night's meeting, Mayor Steve Black said that earlier in the day he'd had a conversation with Northern College President Fred Gibbons.

"After obviously receiving the feedback from their neighbours and community, asking if we had enough spots elsewhere in the community to accommodate the small amount that had reserved spots at Northern College at this point in time. We informed him that yes we did, and we have other partners that are looking at getting on board that we'll be bringing to council, hopefully in the near future once they file their applications, and that we think we're in an okay position from an RV camping point of view for the festival. They withdrew their application to have RV campers there, so they will not have any outdoor camping at Northern College for the festival," said Black. 

Black said the city is in negotiations with 'a few' locations for potential use, which could provide space for up to 150 motor homes.

"We had enough room at the sites that we already have, between Eastview RV and Cedar Meadows, to accommodate those who had booked at Northern College at this point in time, and we're comfortable that we'll have more partners, just by those who have expressed interest, coming on board that will be able to supply future bookings that will come forward as the festival gets closer," he said.

Councillor Rick Dubeau said it was a big win for the concerned residents.

"This was a public led initiative, and it got them to look at it."

TimminsToday asked Dubeau how Northern College got involved in the first place.

"I don't know? I asked that same question. We're not even sure who was getting all the funding, if the city was getting some of it or if Northern College was getting some of it. That question I asked today to a member of staff, and they really didn't know," he said.

"I can tell you the Ombudsman has been contacted by many, many citizens, and that the Ombudsman's office is looking into it. Because quite simply it didn't follow the rule of law of council. The re-zoning is only being voted on next week, yet they started advertising and renting out spaces over a month ago," said Dubeau.

As of Tuesday morning, the Northern College RV site is still being advertised on the official festival website.

R Dubeau pissed offCouncillor Rick Dubeau was appalled the city began booking camping sites before proper procedures took place. Andrew Autio for TimminsToday

"It hasn't be re-zoned, and the perception in the public of doing this in this manner, advertising for six weeks ahead of time before we even had the opportunity to discuss it at council, and also for the public to have their input, is just wrong," said Dubeau.

Black said he wasn't overly surprised at the strong pushback by certain east end residents.

"I think some of it was very valid. We had these discussions at the committee, of whether or not we should go ahead with the campsites beforehand, or wait for the zoning process to go through. We had a waiting list for campsites at that point in time, that we were hearing from frequently, so we said 'we'll go ahead' we feel we'll have enough come the festival, that if council decides that there's one or two that they don't like, we'll able to relocated those people and move them in."

He said there was some misconceptions out in the public.

"I know there was discussions about whether or not it was illegal to do it in that order. You don't break a zoning violation until you actually use the zone, contradictory to the zoning, so unless the campers actually showed up, there was no zoning violation. So we weren't concerned from that point of view, but we did understand that this was a risk of going ahead and renting out places that council, based on community feedback, may decide not to move forward with a couple of them that had residents in closer proximity than the others. We were prepared for it," said Black.

He said all of the people who had booked a spot at the college campus have been notified and re-booked elsewhere. 

Dubeau said he isn't against the idea of an RV park, but emphasized how the proper steps need to be taken.

"Of course we're going to need some kind of a setup in regards to that, but it just can't be in a residential area. There's just no two ways about it. It's not fair for people to have an eight-day party in their backyard."

He said it was an impressive turn of events.

"The public spoke up and they got involved, and they made a change. That's democracy in action," said Dubeau.