Concerned Citizens of King Township

Hamlets in King Township

Land Use in Hamlets and Rural areas

Though smaller than villages, our hamlets are friendly communities that are known for their passion and fun country events suKettleby General Store, photo courtesy of Jeff Laidlaw, Noblehouse Productionsch as country dances at the Laskay Hall, skating parties at the Pottageville pond or whooping it up at the Kettleby Fair www.village.kettleby.on.ca. See our new article below on the hamlet of Snowball. 

In 2003, the Township undertook official plan amendment (OPA) # 230 to revise the policies and land use designations of the Hamlet Secondary Plan to ensure their conformity with the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Act and Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan. www.king.ca/files/documents/OPA 230 Hamlet.pdf

Rural areas comprise most of the Township, with 70% of the Township in the Oak Ridges Moraine and the Holland Marsh within the Greenbelt, there are few areas in King not covered by Provincial Planning Acts. Official Plan #58 is the rural area plan, in 2003 it was updated to conform the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan. www.king.ca/files/documents/Amendment to OPA 580 FINAL 2.pdf

Land uses in the rural areas range from estate residential to agriculture, institutional to light industrial and commercial uses. One of the largest problems in rural areas is compatibility issues between neighbours with differing land uses. While planning tries to solve this, there are many existing non-conforming uses or 'grandfathered uses throughout King.

Current Issues in Our Rural Areas

           

             Kettleby News

        NO HERITAGE CONSERVATION DISTRICT FOR KETTLEBY. 

        In 2008, King Council decided to conclude the attempt to establish a heritage
        conservation district for Kettleby Village. The King Heritage Committee is
        disappointed at this outcome but agreed that there were flaws in the process
        that had been followed. They have advised Council that they would like to
        see the issue re-opened at a later date.

427

If the 427 is extended to Highway 9 it will bring a number of threats to our rural areas in addition to its disastrous impact on the moraine. Just as highway 400 .....an extended 427 will increase traffic volumes throughout the west side of King. Dozens of farms and businesses will be lost, in addition to the potential contamination of water wells with salt runoff and traffic noise. See the transportation section for more information on the potential 427 extension.

Water issues

King currently has seven golf courses operating in our rural areas. The linked report addresses the serious concerns regarding water taking by golf courses. www.ecojustice.ca/publications/ontarios-water-hazard/attachment

Well contamination from road salt is another issue affecting some landowners adjacent to commuter roads. For information on maintaining and monitoring the quality and quantity of well water, visit www.wellwise.ca

Trespassing on rural land

ATV's running over farmers fields, on trails and illegal activities such as dumping are a big concern. If you spot questionable activity, please report it.

Fill and Tree cutting by-laws

The Township of King requires a permit before dumping fill or site alteration takes place. Please contact the Township ( 905-833-5321) if you see illegal filling of wetlands, ditches or on land where no permit is visible. www.king.ca/public/bylaws.cfm

A permit must be obtained before cutting a tree in King. www.york.ca/Services/Environmental/Tree-By-law/default+tree+by+law.htm Contact Cat Cybulski, R.P.F. Area Forester (905) 895-1200 extension 5275 to report a violation or to request a permit.

   

Snowball: More than a Crossroads

Snowball is a friendly hamlet of about 150-200 residences, and a few businesses located at the corner of Dufferin Street and 17th Sideroad on the eastern edge of the township. The community  includes homes on  King View Crescent, an estate residential development  built by individual owners in the 1970s. Snowball’s Chance, an informal citizens group for the hamlet and surrounding areas, was founded in the mid 1990s to oppose the proposed Clublink resort-recreational development, which has since added 65 homes at the King Valley Golf Club.     

 The name Snowball always brings a chuckle, and people want to know how Snowball got its name. According to Elizabeth McClure Gillham’s Early Settlement of King Township,  the  hamlet was first called Coates Corners and then Hainstock’s Corners and lastly Snowball. The colourful name arrived via a circuitous route. Gillham tells the story that in 1850 a log church was build in Vaughan; during construction the joints were so tightly pegged with snow that work on the church was delayed until the snow melted!  This church was named “Snowball”.  In May 1879 the church in Vaughan was destroyed by fire and subsequently re-built twice. In 1891 the reconstructed church was purchased by Methodists for $150, sawed in half and moved by horse and wagon from Vaughan to Dufferin and the 17th Sideroad. When the church was erected a sign saying “Snowball” was painted and nailed on the church. The whole area has been known by that name since.

 Those of us who live in the area think that the name is fitting because there is snow on the ground in the hamlet (due to its slightly higher elevation and unique microclimate) when no where nearby has snow!  Winter truly lasts longer in Snowball.

Several years ago, one of the banks had a radio spot that contrasted the raging traffic of Toronto  to the “beep beep” of an old jalopy in Snowball. Sadly this is not the case. Snowball, sometimes still called Snowball Corners by longstanding residents, is at the rush-hour traffic crossroads between Newmarket-Aurora and points north and east to Highway 400.    

 Many of the challenges that the area faces are due to the high volumes of rush hour traffic and include speeding, noise and congestion in the mornings and afternoons and extensive littering on the roads. The countryside in Snowball is often used for illegal dumping of garbage, a problem throughout our rural areas.   

 Although all the neighbours keep an eye out for each other, the Snowball community established a formal Neighbourhood Watch program with the support of York Region Police. Residents also hold a spring annual trash and garbage pick up on the 17th sideroad and this year 20 people of all ages participated. The neighborhood is also known for community events such as barbeques, holiday parties and fundraising for local causes.


Trails and Conservation

It is evident that most of King's landowners care for the land in many ways, some contact Ducks Unlimited to restore a wetland, while others manage a forest or leave hedgerows. The Happy Valley forest, (www.fightingforcanada.ca/feature4.html) is one of the largest (1,500 acre) remaining intact deciduous forests on the Oak Ridges Moraine. Many landowners in this area have been contacted by the Nature Conservancy of Canada to make a donation of land or to place a conservation easement on their property. Hundreds of acres of land in King is protected through the Oak Ridges Moraine Land Trust, the Nature Conservancy of Canada and the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority.

One of the best ways to experience King is by walking on the Oak Ridges Trail (www.oakridgestrail.org). Fortunately for us, many landowners in King host the Oak Ridge Trail on their property allowing us all to experience nature firsthand and get some great exercise. Our forests and wetlands are valuable and are increasingly under the microscope at the University of Toronto Koffler Scientific Research Centre in the north east corner of the Township. www.zoo.utoronto.ca/jokershill/jh.html.