Protestors to challenge plans for new Tiny Township municipal office on Wednesday

Protest planned against new Tiny Twp. municipal building Plans to build a new municipal building in Tiny Township continue to raise the ire of its residents.

Plans to build a new municipal building in Tiny Township continue to raise the ire of its residents.

More than 150 people protested at Tiny's council office in January, calling for council to halt its plans. Tensions have grown since then.

"It's truly a council that is not listening," said Paul Cowley, President of the Federation of Tiny Township Shoreline Associations (FoTTSA).

Some residents have taken issue with the cost of a new building slated to be constructed on township-owned land on Concession 9. According to Cowley, they're also upset with what they perceive as an unwillingness from council to listen to its residents.

"we've never said, 'don't properly provide proper office space,'" Cowley said. "What we've said is it doesn't need to be a $27 million building."

Dave Wulff, a Tiny Township resident, said the feeling is that the council is moving secretively and expeditiously despite constant pleas from the community.

An online petition started earlier this year has garnered thousands of signatures.

"They've hidden behind all sorts of secret meetings; they've held all sorts of meetings that we're not privy to the result of," Wulff said. "The statistics and comparisons between what they (Tiny Township) have and what they want to have for the number of people who live in Tiny and the number of people who will be in the office are dramatic."

Tiny Township earmarked its 57-year-old administration office for replacement in 2014.

According to Tiny's mayor, the current building is an aging structure with an inaccessible design.

"It is necessary because we don't have room," Mayor Dave Evans told CTV News. "We've got people working in closests. We've got seven different facilities. The original from 1967 requires substantial cost just to run and maintain. We're at a point now where combining seven facilities into one, provides us with a whole number of advantages, not just economic."

Some residents would prefer to see the township add an extension to its current site, as assessed in the three options Tiny's council had to choose from.

Asked to explain why council wants to proceed with the new-build option, which has a higher upfront cost, Mayor Evans said he could not speak on behalf of what "each person was feeling at the time," but can only speak on behalf of what council did. A report was given to council listing its options during a council meeting earlier this month.

"We have provided multiple plans," the mayor said regarding a perceived lack of public consultation. "There are three different options that were presented in the report in our last council meeting over a 300-page report. The large number of the report has been involving staff requirements, something that's not public information. The public portion of the building is still under consideration and we will be having public consultation sessions upcoming where the public will be involved to participate both virtually and in-person."

A planned protest is scheduled to take place ahead of Wednesday night's council meeting.

Paul Cowley is also expected to speak, with his letter expressing his concerns and those of other residents listed on Tiny's agenda.