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CENTRAL MANITOULIN—The proponents of a “geopark” designation for Georgian Bay that would include Manitoulin Island received another local setback as Central Manitoulin council passed a motion clearly setting out that the municipality does not want to be part of the project and included a demand that the proponents remove any references to the community as supporters of the program.

The motion, based on a recommendation of the Finance and Economic Development Committee reads “Whereas the Municipality of Central Manitoulin has not consented to participate in the Georgian Bay Geopark Project; and whereas the Municipality of Central Manitoulin was not consulted; and whereas the Municipality of Central Manitoulin objects to being labelled a “Deep Time Zone 4: Tropical Seas;” and whereas the Municipality of Central Manitoulin stands on its own and is of the opinion that Manitoulin Island alone will decide whether it seeks status in any Geopark destination; therefore the Municipality of Central Manitoulin is in opposition to being included in the Georgian Bay Geopark project. Further, the Municipality requests that the Georgian Bay Geopark project redraw their maps to exclude Manitoulin Island and the North Channel, that the Georgian Bay Geopark project remove all references to Manitoulin Island and the North Channel from all communications, fundraising and grant application materials including Envision 2030, that there be no Tourism Oriented Directional Signing (TODS) installed pertaining to the Geopark, and to state that ‘Manitoulin Island is not within the scope of this project’ in all Geopark communications.”