Message from the Mayor
Hello everyone,
On December 2, 2020 my term as Warden for Lambton County concluded. I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere gratitude to all who have supported me throughout this journey. It was an honour to serve as Warden and represent the people of Lambton County over the past four years. I am looking forward to continuing to represent the Municipality of Lambton Shores at County Council.
This year has been a challenging one for everyone. On top of a global pandemic, many of our residents have had to deal with an outbreak of European gypsy moth.
Council has listened to a number of viewpoints on the issue of Gypsy Moth control, and decided that while we will not stand in the way of property owners that want to control the pest with aerial spray, we will not impose that decision on those that choose otherwise.
Council has agreed to assist in the efficiency of aerial spray programs by supporting permit applications and waiving any objection to overspray on adjacent municipal lands. Further, we will also be developing website resources to help all our residents better understand this pest and other alternatives to deal with it. These caterpillar infestations are cyclical. Many residents recall previous outbreaks and their eventual collapse.
Although the municipality has relatively few park or property parcels in the affected area, Council has adopted a “good neighbor” approach that will support the gypsy moth control efforts of adjacent private property owners. It is our understanding that a similar buffer approach is being considered by the County and Conservation Authority.
It is very unfortunate that this is happening while we are all dealing with so much pandemic related uncertainty. However, I feel strongly that we will also get through this gypsy moth situation by doing what we feel is appropriate for ourselves, and respecting the decisions of others to do the same. We are particularly fortunate to have strong community members who have spent countless hours devoting their time to assist their neighbours in battling this pest.
In COVID-19 related news, earlier this week Lambton County moved into the status level of protect (yellow) with strengthened measures in place to help fight the spread of COVID-19. To learn more about how the enhanced measures impact you, please visit the Ontario COVID-19 Response Framework.
COVID-19 cases throughout the Province continue to increase. Our local cases in Lambton County remain low, however our area (Rural 2), has reported 6 cases over the past 30 days. Detailed information on COVID-19 cases in Lambton County can be found at Lambton Public Health.
Although our cases are low compared to the rest of the province, now is not the time for complacency. Please remain vigilant. We all have a personal responsibility in helping to control the COVID-19 pandemic. We must continue to follow the guidance of public health experts. Practice physical distancing, wear a mask when indoors, limit gathering sizes and practice proper hygiene. Proper hygiene includes mask hygiene. Lambton Public Health has some great tips for the care and use of masks.
With so much out of our control, we can control our own actions. Choose to be kind.
Stay healthy, safe and positive.
Mayor Bill
