Port Authority responds to criticisms

To the Editor,

I am writing to provide clarification with regard to certain comments that have been reported regarding the alleged lack of information provided to City Council by the Oshawa Port Authority (OPA) concerning the Harbour Road Extension Agreement.

A  staff report  to Council dated March 22, 2018 showed an OPA approved shortened road alternative and  on June 14, 2018 actually attached a drawing provided by the OPA, showing a proposed shortened road, and the intended land uses within the port that this road would serve.

The City of Oshawa’s OPA representative, Mr. Bruce McArthur and myself appeared before the development services committee on June 18, 2018 to make a presentation to Committee which specifically addressed  the OPA’s intentions regarding the shortened road, preservation of the buffer zone and waterfront trail and the drawing showing the intended land uses including the impetus for the road, the new grain silo. There was lengthly question and answer session with councillors following the presentation.

The OPA then offered all councillors and relevent staff the opportunity for personal port tours on June 22, 2018,  Councillors Shields, Sanders, Carter, Bates and Kerr availed themselves of the chance to talk about the road and port activities during private truck tours around the east and west facilities.

On July 27, 2018, Mayor John Henry, Councillor Nestor Pidwerbecki and Mr. Jag Sharma met with the Oshawa Port Authority Board of Directors to the discuss mutually beneficial alternatives to the full road construction and ongoing maintenance costs and methods of  assuring the public that the Buffer Zone for the Second Marsh will be respected.

I wish to confirm that as President and CEO of the Oshawa Port Authority I accurately relayed the Federal Government’s response to the City’s request for the transfer of ownership of the buffer zone lands to the City, or at least a Right of First Refusal on those lands should they become surplus. The Oshawa Port Authority felt confident that the staff reports to Council fully represented our efforts, intentions and proposed solutions.

Donna P. Taylor

President & CEO

Oshawa Port Authority