When city council switched gears on the future of Terry Fox Circle, some called it a compromise, but not everyone sees it that way.
“It is not a compromise,” said David Robbins, who is part of a group of residents who petitioned for the circle at Couchiching Beach Park to remain as it is.
Council initially decided to close the feature to vehicles but, in a reconsideration vote earlier this month, opted for Option 2 — a smaller circle that will have fewer parking spots and be a few hundred metres farther from the waterfront.
“What they voted on was not what we did the petition about,” Robbins said. “It was to leave the Terry Fox Circle road alone. That’s what the citizens responded to with 6,212 votes.”
He said some councillors had indicated they had no choice, but he noted Coun. Mason Ainsworth voted against Option 2 during the reconsideration. If more of his colleagues had done the same, “it would have been off the table and the park would’ve stayed the same,” Robbins said.
“They did have an option. They could say no.”
Many cited safety concerns as the reason for deciding to remove, and then to decrease the size of, Terry Fox Circle, but there have been no reported collisions.
“It’s the safest street in the city,” Robbins said.
He and others who fought for the circle to remain the same have aired concerns about the effect it will have on seniors those with disabilities, as some of them won’t be able to access that area of the waterfront, and the washrooms, as easily.
Mel St. Onge said he realized, while collecting signatures for the petition, “there are a lot of handicapped people in Orillia that can’t walk and they love to drive through the park.”
He said most of those he spoke with didn’t understand why anyone would want to block vehicle access to the circle.
“This is the jewel of the city. This is what draws people here,” he said.
Janet Maconachie felt the same.
“This is precious. This is our heart — the lake and the park. It’s part of our history. It’s part of us,” she said.
“The roads need that money more than our beautiful park.”
While St. Onge would rather have seen council vote to keep Terry Fox Circle as it is, with some upgrades, he sees council’s reconsideration vote as a small win.
“Did we win the war? No. Did we win the battle? Yes, because the road is kept open,” he said.
Of the more than 6,000 people who signed the petition, St. Onge estimated 20 per cent were from out of town.
“They should have a right, too. They choose to come here,” he said.
“We got 6,212 to say keep it open the way it is,” Robbins added. “It’s Orillia’s park. We’re the citizens. Listen to us.”
He predicted it will be “a rough election next year” for those who are seeking a return to the council table.
“It’s a done deal now. We’re not changing anything here,” Marcel Rousseau added. “I can see a fight happening during the election next year.”
Prior to the reconsideration vote, St. Onge signed up to present a deputation to council to make a case for leaving Terry Fox Circle the same. The earliest date he was given was Oct. 25.
“Wouldn’t common sense say you listen to the deputation before you make a vote?” he asked.
He said he still planned to present to council this coming Monday, to take the opportunity to thank everyone who supported the effort in various ways, including by signing the petition.
It’s unclear, however, if a deputation is allowed on an issue that has already gone through a reconsideration vote. City staff were not able to immediately provide clarification.
Mayor Steve Clarke said he was “quite surprised” to hear St. Onge planned to go ahead with the deputation.
“The decision has been made,” he said.
He was surprised also because “there seemed to be room for compromise.”
“(St. Onge) worked with a member of council to bring back that (reconsideration) motion,” Clarke said.
“I commend the group for their passion. It was largely because of their actions that we struck a compromise and reconsidered it.”
In the end, the mayor said, “nobody got everything they wanted, but everyone got something they wanted.”
