What is Happening in NK and HBM: Municipal Boundary Adjustment for Jack Lake Sought

Municipal Boundary Adjustment for Jack Lake Sought

The Jack Lake Municipal Boundary Adjustment Committee is working towards implementing a proposed municipal boundary adjustment for Jack Lake. The committee is seeking support from the Township of North Kawartha and the Township of Havelock-Belmont-Methuen to initiate a formal process to investigate this matter. This adjustment ensures that Jack Lake is wholly located within the Township of North Kawartha. The proposal is considered unfinished business from when both municipalities were established in 1998. 

History of Municipal Restructuring in Peterborough County

Generally, municipal restructuring and consolidation in Peterborough County have a long and well-documented history, including minor boundary adjustments through annexations. Previous studies conducted in 1991 and 1997 recommended placing all of Jack Lake within what is now North Kawartha. The proposed annexation of the portion of Jack Lake in Havelock-Belmont-Methuen to North Kawartha has received significant support from the community. It is based on a logical “community of interest” centred around Apsley.

Reasons for Boundary Adjustment

Several reasons support including all of Jack Lake in North Kawartha:

• Apsley serves as the primary source of community facilities such as shopping, library, recreation, and medical services for Jack Lake.
• North Kawartha provides essential services like fire, ambulance, and road maintenance for Jack Lake through inter-municipal agreements with Havelock-Belmont-Methuen.
• The current arrangement of having portions of Jack Lake in both North Kawartha and Havelock-Belmont-Methuen creates challenges related to planning standards. It puts additional pressure on each municipality to alter its planning policies.
• Including Jack Lake in North Kawartha would enable the current residents of Havelock-Belmont-Methuen to have more local and effective contact for municipal services and elected representation. Local government needs to be as local as possible.
• The existing municipal boundaries reflect that only some Jack Lake residents travel through Apsley, not Havelock, to reach their properties.

The Committee’s Proposal The Jack Lake Municipal Boundary Adjustment Committee aims to renew the previously proposed annexation of the Jack Lake area. This proposal was left unfinished when North Kawartha and Havelock-Belmont-Methuen were created in 1998. The committee recommends that the Township of North Kawartha and the Township of Havelock-Belmont-Methuen initiate a process to implement the County of Peterborough’s 1998 recommendation regarding Jack Lake’s municipal boundary adjustment.

Ensuring Community Support and Consultation

The committee believes it is essential to engage in a process that allows residents of Jack Lake, whether in North Kawartha or Havelock-Belmont-Methuen, to provide input and express their support. Extensive consultation should be carried out to ensure that the recommendation for annexation still makes sense and has the community’s backing. The committee is confident that the broad community support during the initial proposal remains.

Collaboration and Next Steps

Finally, the Jack Lake Municipal Boundary Adjustment Committee looks forward to collaborating with the Township of North Kawartha, the Township of Havelock-Belmont-Methuen, the County of Peterborough, and the Province of Ontario in implementing the proposed boundary adjustment for Jack Lake. The committee is committed to working closely with each council and the provincial government to develop an effective and well-supported annexation plan. Through partnership and cooperation, the committee aims to achieve the desired outcome of including all of Jack Lake within the jurisdiction of the Township of North Kawartha.

(Information gathered from the report presented to HBM Council by letter dated November 11th, 2023