Trent Source Protection Plan

The Trent Source Protection Plan was approved in 2014 pursuant to the Clean Water Act, 2006 with the purpose of implementing a range of actions and policies necessary to keep contaminants out of municipal drinking water sources. The Clean Water Act is one of the Province's responses to the Walkerton water contamination tragedy and is part of Ontario's strategy to preserve drinking water from source to tap.

Municipalities are responsible for the regulation of activities that may pose a risk of contaminating drinking water sources (drinking water threats) on a site-specific basis. Source Water Protection Plan policies generally apply to activities located within vulnerable areas associated with surface water Intake Protection Zones (IPZ) or Wellhead Protection Areas (WHPA). Activities within these areas will have a greater impact on Municipal drinking water sources.

The Trent Source Protection Plan is available on the Trent Conservation Coalition Source Protection website: Trent Source Protection Plan. 

To determine whether you are located in a vulnerable area which may be subject to policies contained within the Trent Source Protection Plan, please see the Policy Applicability Map on the Trent Conservation Coalition Source Protection website.

View our fact sheets below to learn more about Source Water Protection in Minden Hills. 

For additional information, please see the Trent Conservation Coalition Source Protection Region's website.

Proposed Amendments

The Clean Water Act requires that municipal planning documents be amended to conform with significant threat policies outlined in the Trent Source Protection Plan.

Amendments to both the Township’s Official Plan and Zoning By-law have been drafted. The amendments will have application to those lands located within Municipal Well Systems and Municipal Surface Water Systems in the Township as provided in the above Policy Maps.

Purpose and Effect: The proposed amendments if approved will introduce policies and provisions with respect to Source Water Protection as required under the Clean Water Act, 2006. Official Plan policies will identify land use activities that represent drinking water threats and will therefore be prohibited in the absence of a prescribed instrument or Section 59 Notice from the Township’s Risk Management Official. Policies will also guide the use of sewage systems, road salt, transport pathways, and stormwater management facilities.  Zoning By-law regulations will support the Official Plan policies and identify those uses which will require further review and approval within vulnerable areas.

The draft amendments and associated mapping schedules are available here for review:

Draft Official Plan Amendment

Draft Zoning By-law Amendment

Have your Say!

The Township will be holding a Public Meeting, as required under the Planning Act. The Public Meeting is an opportunity for Council to hear and consider comments related to the proposed amendments. Any member of the public may speak in favour, or opposition to, the proposed amendments during the Public Meeting.

Date and Location of Public Meeting

Date:                  Thursday, March 12, 2023

Time:                 9:00 AM

Location:          This will be a hybrid meeting. Members of the public may attend either in person or virtually via Zoom.

To Watch: Members of the Public wishing to watch the meeting in person can do so by attending the Township Council Chambers, located at 7 Milne Street, Minden. Members of the Public wishing to watch the meeting virtually can do so by joining the Meeting Live Stream Link available on YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/@townshipofmindenhills4716

Written Submissions either in support of or opposition to the application must be received prior to the Public Meeting and can be submitted to adougherty@mindenhills.ca

To participate in the public meeting or to inquire about additional Information regarding the proposed Amendments, contact Amanda Dougherty, Manager of Planning at adougherty@mindenhills.ca or by phone at 705-286-1260 (ext. 506).

Any Person may attend the public meeting and/or make written or verbal representation either in support of or in opposition to the proposed Official Plan and Zoning By-law Amendments.

If a person or public body would otherwise have an ability to appeal the decision of the Council of the Corporation of the Township of Minden Hills to the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal but the person or public body does not make oral submissions at a public meeting or make written submissions to the Township of Minden Hills before the proposed official plan amendment is adopted or the by-law with respect to the zoning by-law amendment is passed, the person or public body is not entitled to appeal the decision.

If a person or public body does not make oral submissions at a public meeting or make written submissions to Council of the Corporation of the Township of Minden Hills before the proposed official plan amendment is adopted or the by-law with respect to the zoning by-law amendment is passed, the person or public body may not be added as a party to the hearing of an appeal before the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal unless, in the opinion of the Tribunal, there are reasonable grounds to add the person or public body as a party.

If You Wish to Be Notified of the decision of the Township of Minden Hills in respect to the proposed amendments, you must submit a written request to the Township of Minden Hills. For more information about this matter, including information about preserving your appeal rights, contact the undersigned at adougherty@mindenhills.ca.

Contact Us

Township of Minden Hills
7 Milne Street
BOX 359
Minden ON K0M 2K0
Phone 705-286-1260
Email

Sign up for Minden Hills News

Stay up to date on the Township's activities, events, programs and operations by subscribing to our News.

Sign Up Today!