Yesterday, we talked about why any community would try to build a downtown. We also talked about our official “Downtown Master Plan”. But today I want to talk about a Municipal Councils role in all of this.

In my opinion, a council should create the right political environment to facilitate, encourage and even control growth. But a Municipality should not try to become a part of the development community. THAT is what Brian Smith (as Mayor and as private citizen) has done.

In the last 10 years, Brian Smith and his team have worked towards a plan with a single developer and support from an existing land owner/ developer in that area. They have BECOME an intricate part of future downtown growth. During Brian Smiths first four years on Council, he initiated the purchase of Beach One Properties. He initiated the purchase of Main Street properties and he also selected a single developer for three primary development areas these properties were located in the defined downtown zone. Brian Smith also flipped a Beach One property just prior to entering politics.

The strategy he was unraveling in 2014-18 was refused by the community, so the next four years, he was sidelined after losing the election. However, from the sidelines, he worked with the two major developers to discredit the council that defeated him. (They all spoke at a rally now known as the “Pitchforks and Hatchets” rally.) Throughout the term, the Council they constantly opposed endured the lies and deceit, kept their momentum and built the most amazing arena/ library complex. They did this within their four year mandate. They also salvaged planning for development at Beach One. It was almost at the contract stage.

But, the development of Main Street was NOT their priority, so the lies were piled on. There was a massive campaign to claim that the Council had drastically modified the Master Plan. Some even said it had been cancelled. It had not. But, the Council realized that the focus should be on the new arena/ library and Beach One. My recollection is the main change to the Downtown Master plan included ensuring a small section of zoning was modified to ensure it alligned with abutting properties and a few words were changed from “shall” to “may”. But the “plan” was NEVER abandoned or cancelled. Still, the Smith supporters continued that lie.

So, who would have been upset about the Council not focusing on Main Street? Well, I suppose anyone who thought the Towns Plans might result in the need for more land might be upset if they owned the land. I also imagine any developer who hoped to benefit from building facilities might also be upset.

In my opinion, the main reason no building has happened in Main Street is simply because land owners there are engaged in a life sized game of monopoly. At one time, Brian Smith was going to build our new library and our new arena in that area. That was to have “stimulated” development. Homeowners in the area feared losing their homes to expropriation. But people forgot all of the demolition (coffee time) prompted by these promises of greener pastures and instead believed lies about the Council of the day.

So, an election happened and Mayor Smith who had moved out of Wasaga Beach was elected again. Other people also very close to the two developers were either elected or hired and the “plan” (whatever it is) was now in play again.

Shortly after the election, the Beach One plans with developers fell apart and WITHOUT an open RFP process, the original developer (FRAM) who “walked away” was returned to a position of being the sole source developer. That selection process should have been challenged by our elected body, but it was not.

What happened the first time Brian Smith tried this? The Council of the day put all their eggs in one FRAM basket and a sole developer interested in building condo’s was awarded sole source access. A letter of intent was filled with so much disappointment that it actually cost many of that first Smith Council their positions during the 2018 election.

The question is… did Smith learn from his mistakes? Will he again try to build Cindi’s on Beach Two? I don’t think so. I think Beach two will be in a contract giving FRAM right of development if certain criteria are met, but that will be years from now.

I believe “DownTown” will have its seed in some form of Municipal Structure. Does our entire Council actually believe that moving our twin hall one block east will encourage all of the property owners in that area to build the “downtown”?

Consider this… Hammount Developments (Stonebridge) presented a multi story building with ground floor retail towards the end of Brian Smiths first term. It excited downtown proponents, but where is the shovels? Why have they not proceeded? If “downtown” is such a FANTASTIC” opportunity to build the new core for Wasaga Beach, why hasn’t FRAM snapped up the various properties that have come for sale? Has FRAM purchased any property in Wasaga Beach?

MANY, MANY companies have purchased properties, but many of those are simply numbered companies. This allows the true owners to stay behind the curtains. Are these the same curtains the ones fake ID’s are using to conceal their identity on Facebook?

This political control/ development/ property ownership aspect of our downtown is in my opinion one of the most concealed, but strongest motivation for this “downtown” dream.

What should we call Silo number 2?….. “Follow the money!”