Re – property standards

Inge and Erech Morrison | May 22, 2019

In Frontenac News of May 9, 2019, an article by Jeff Green praises a group attending a Tourism Conference. Mr. Green is to be commended for bringing this effort to our attention once again. We sincerely hope that it results in action.

Over the last few years, CF Council have made numerous references to the declining population and the need to increase tourism and encourage new residents to locate here. Has anyone looked around lately? The whole area is dotted with derelict or empty buildings and what looks like dump sites on residential properties. This is hardly encouraging for tourism.

CF’s Safe Properties by-law has not been successful in encouraging people to clean up their properties for a range of reasons, and therefore was not enforced. One of these was that some folks lack resources, are too old, or are in ill health to be forced to do this. This lacks credence as much of the “mess” is just plain garbage and detritus. This devalues surrounding properties and gives a negative view of CF to potential visitors, thus making increased tourism a pipe dream.

In a study from the Journal of the American Medical Association reprinted in the Toronto Star of September 15, 2018), it found that cleaning up lots with overgrown weeds and trash lifts residents’ moods and feelings of self-worth. The negative impact that unkempt or blighted properties makes on the mental health of people living in such areas has been well documented.

Most residents of CF have pride of ownership and even volunteer to clean up our roads. However, some do not. In the case of seniors or owners suffering illness or disability, service organizations and volunteers could help clean up their properties. In the other cases, CF should impose fines and/or send in a crew to clean up the property at the owner’s expense.

As permanent residents and taxpayers in CF, we are disgusted in the lack of pride that would allow some fellow residents to hamper the good work of groups trying to increase tourism and ownership here.

Inge and Erech Morrison