The Tait Family’s Struggle: How the Conservation Authority Act Impacted Our Dream
Hi, we’re the Tait family from Toronto, and we want to share our story with you. We own a beautiful 150-acre property in Severn, Ontario, where we had big plans to create six new two-acre lots to share with our children and grandchildren. But what started as an exciting project turned into a nightmare because of the Conservation Authorities Act and some troubling decisions made by local government officials.
A Shocking Discovery
Our dream began to unravel when we reached out to the local planning authorities to move forward with our plans. To our shock and dismay, we received a response that crushed our hopes. The senior planner told us that our property was not eligible for the severances we were hoping for. The reason? Our property was now designated as “green land” on the County of Simcoe’s Official Plan, which supposedly means it can’t be developed. Pictured here is the image of our property provided to us by the senior planner at our local government indicating the protected green land.
Here’s what the email said:
“(address) in Severn Township, owned by the Tait’s, is not eligible for six severances. The property is primarily designated green land (see image of our property attached) in the County of Simcoe’s Official Plan, which does not permit development, including new lot creation within the GREEN land designation. The BROWN area on the image below is designated rural and may be permitted to provide a new lot; however, all applicable land use planning policy documents would need to be complied with so a ‘Land Use Planning Consultant’ would likely need to be retained to justify any lot creation within the BROWN rural area of the property.”
When we met with the same senior planner in person, we were told that we could do “NOTHING” with our property. We felt completely blindsided.
A Deep Sense of Betrayal
We were left with many questions and a growing sense of injustice:
Why did this GREEN zone suddenly appear on our property? Ten years ago, we applied for nine two-acre lots, which we didn't proceed with due to personal reasons. However, this restriction and green zone wasn’t in place at that time. Who decided to impose this new infringement, and why wasn’t it communicated to us sooner?
Are we, the taxpayers, being forced to pay extra to fix the mistakes of planners? It seems like we might be caught in a web of self-serving interests. Despite these restrictions and loss in usable property, why have our taxes actually increased?
If we as taxpayers are funding these government initiatives, why haven't our property rights been considered or upheld? It feels like they allowed this infringement to happen, and we’re left wondering if they are complicit in this mess.
The feeling of being mistreated is overwhelming. It seems like discrimination and corruption are at play, leaving us with only about four usable acres out of our original 150. We’re facing what looks like expropriation without fair compensation, and we believe this situation reflects a broader issue of property control.
A Call for Justice
We’re not alone in this. If you’re also affected, we’re calling on all property owners who have suffered from similar infringements to join us. Our goal is to find out who made the decisions to encumber our property—and yours—and to hold them accountable.
Over time and with help, we plan to subpoena all relevant documents from the authorities, including records of similar cases, as well as risk management studies. We want to expose the injustice faced by us and our neighbors.
We hope that by sharing our story, we can build a strong network of property owners who are ready to fight for their rights. It’s time to stand up and reclaim control over our properties.
Take Action
If you believe you’ve been unfairly impacted, sign up and get involved. Your voice matters, and together, we can make a difference. Let’s ensure that no more property owners face the kind of injustice that we have.
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