The Next Day
The South Georgian Bay Project | Ron Shulman
Almost a thousand of you read this in one day. Thank you.
This is a short document that responds to some of the issues people raised.
A personal note. My partner has lost her husband, her sister, her mother, and her nephew to cancer in five years. Her cousin is now fighting Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Parkinson’s disease — caused 90% by environmental toxins — is the fastest-growing neurological disease on earth. I am not writing about water quality as an abstraction.
When Collingwood Today suggests checking your sump pump will prevent raw sewage from entering Georgian Bay — I don’t find it inaccurate. I find it disingenuous. I submitted a précis of my article. They declined. Make of that what you will.
One ask. Write to them. Feel free to quote my paper. And include this link:
shulmanr.substack.com/p/collingwoods-wastewater-crisis-stop?r=1b1cja
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People have asked: why are you bringing in TBM, Clearview, and Wasaga Beach into your paper? Because this is a regional problem. Six plants. Four municipalities. Here is where each stands:
• Collingwood — 68 years old. Overflowing. Cannot be rebuilt where it stands. Fourth EA in six years.
• Thornbury (TBM) — Just expanded. Already at 74% capacity. Pumping infrastructure failing in wet weather.
• Craigleith (TBM) — Headroom exists on paper. Growth will consume it before 2030.
• Stayner (Clearview) — At capacity. Building permits halted since 2023.
• Creemore (Clearview) — At capacity. Development frozen.
• Wasaga Beach — Exceeded rated capacity in 2021. Current status unconfirmed. Cannot expand in its current location.
Most reach crisis by the early 2030s. No coordinated plan exists.
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Since 2018, these four municipalities have spent close to $200 million on water and wastewater infrastructure — your money, regardless of whether it came as a property tax bill, a provincial transfer, or a federal grant. Every dollar spent in isolation. Georgian Bay is still receiving raw sewage. Two hundred million dollars. Zero coordination.
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That is why the Municipal Services Corporation is not a theoretical exercise. It is the only mechanism that forces these municipalities to act as one. But it requires adults at the council table who understand infrastructure, finance, and long-term planning. October 2026 is coming. If that describes you — step forward.
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