Proposal to charge $700 trailer permit fee sparks anger in northern Ont. community

A plan to charge trailer owners as much as $700 a year led to what can only be described as a contentious town hall meeting in the township of Sables-Spanish Rivers.

A plan to charge trailer owners as much as $700 a year led to what can only be described as a contentious town hall meeting in the township of Sables-Spanish Rivers.

Council is looking at amending the current bylaw dealing with trailers and where they can be set up. Proposed changes would require a permit that could cost trailer owners $700 a year.

Mayor Kevin Burke spent much of the time trying to tell people that the bylaw is a necessary step to regulate who is in their community and what can be done to ensure they are maintaining a certain standard.

"I expected this,” said Burke.

“It wasn't a public meeting per se and it was about council bouncing decisions off each other and trying to form a permanent path for the new bylaw. But I did allow some input from the crowd and I'm glad we did. It's a contentious issue and there's a lot of emotion there.”

The mayor says there are two sides to the issue. On one side, there are people who are intimidated when there are too many trailers around residences, creating noise, sewage and garbage.

But he said there are also perfectly good people with trailers who are respectful and quiet.