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'I'll just spit at you,' Manzo warns SooToday.com reporter

SooToday News was cautioned today to keep away from Frank Manzo in the City Council chambers.
ManzoProperty1

SooToday News was cautioned today to keep away from Frank Manzo in the City Council chambers.

"I'll just spit at you if I have to," the Ward 6 councillor told us in a Good Friday phone call indicating his displeasure with photographs we took Thursday of his Base Line residence (shown).

The property has been in the news during the past week because Manzo claims it will be adversely affected by the City's plan to acquire and develop nearby Algoma Steel land as industrial lots.

Manzo's asking Ontario Environment Minister Chris Stockwell to disallow the plan, potentially thwarting a significant part of the Sault's economic diversification strategy.

"Don't f*** around with Frank Manzo," the councillor told us today. "You're just a carpetbagger. A carpetbagger from Sarnia. You're not from Korah Township."

Manzo insists that SooToday's photos, taken from Base Line without ever leaving our car, violate his privacy.

Our photographer trespassed on his property to get the shots, he said, because his lot extends to the middle of the road.

The veteran councillor also advised us that SooToday has no right to publish the 10-page letter he wrote to Stockwell.

The photos that made Frank Manzo spitting mad

660 Base Line #1 660 Base Line #2 660 Base Line #3 660 Base Line #4 660 Base Line #5 660 Base Line #6

The letter Manzo doesn't want you to view

This document is published as received from City Solicitor Lorie Bottos, who advises that both the City of Sault Ste. Marie and the Ontario Ministry of the Environment consider it to be a public document. SooToday.com has not edited this document for spelling, style or grammar:

**************************************************************** Frank J.Manzo Sr. 660 Baseline Rd. Sault Ste. Marie Ontario P6A-5K6

Mr. Chris Stockwell Minister of the Environment 135 St. Clair Ave. West 12th Floor Toronto Ontario M4V-1P5

March 19-2003

REGISTERED MAIL

Dear Mr. Stockwell; TSH Project No. 60264

I am writing this letter in regards to the City of Sault Ste. Marie Ontario Re; Servicing of Lands Class Environment Assessment Site 1B- of 79 Acres of swamp wetlands at the Intersection of Baseline and Leighs Bay Road and southerly towards St Mary'River.

I have lived in this area all my life as I am 76 Years old. This property that the City of Sault Ste. Marie wants to service with Sanitary Sewers and Municipal Water. This land is in a Flood plain Area and is wet land as the soils are very wet and silty, not suitable for heavy development for any type of industry. This Property does not belong to the City Of Sault Ste Marie, this property Belongs to the Algoma Steel Inc. as the Officials of The City of Sault Ste. Marie have been Baby Sitting Algorna Steel ever since the City Of Sault Ste. Marie Staff and City Council of 1999 have waived three Million Dollars (3.M) of Arrears of Algoma Steel Taxes and since then the city Staff are preparing to service this Swamp land for Heavy Industry.At no cost to Al;goma Steel Inc.

In April of 2002 the Thunder Bay Testing and Engineering (TBT Engineering) Did a test of the site and one of the test hole engineers had stated to me why would the city take on this type of property to develop as the soils are not fit for Industrial development of any Kind. I asked , and one of the men working there said that they are to make it look good so that they can get paid for their consulting work, as one man said all consultants when they do a consulting Job for any one who is trying to develop in any type of lands, the consultants have to make it look good or they will not get paid for bid tender that they bid. This man told me to not mention his name as he only worked for the Engineering Firm. I asked this gentleman if he would build on property like this,the answer I received not in a life time. to wet to silty as the costs to dig out the wet land and refill would be exoribant and would put a business in banckcrupcy.

Mr. Cecil Marshall lives across the road of Leigh's Bay road which is on the west side of the subject property and Mr. Cecil Marshall is a Farmer. Under the Sensitive land use of the Ministrty Of Environment for M4 use the construction of buildings must be 300 meters or 1000 feet set back. The subject property is 1320 feet wide and is aprox 2000 long from the Baseline to the St Mary's River. If the buildings are to be 1000 feet set back from Mr Cecil Marshalls Property and the property is only 1320 feet does it pay to put in Sanitary sewers and Municipal Water at a very High Cost to the city taxpayers and no cost to the property owner which is Algoma Steel Inc.As 1000feet set back only leaves 320 feet. Does it pay to do this.I do not think so.I have been in the construction field all my life as II know what I am talking about.

In the Testing report states in order to develop this swampland they would have to PILE DRIVE STEEL PILES DOWN TO THE BED ROCK well this will destroy the well in this area.

The Ministry of Environnent and Energy ar now doing a Provincial Ground Water Monitoring Network around Sault Ste. Marie Ont. Under the Study been done by Burnside and Accociates of Guelph Ontario under the Supervision of Dayana Grgic Project Manager Provincial Groundwater Monitoring Network, Water Monitoring Section Environmental Monitoring and Reporting Branch of Ministry of Environment and Energy, 125 Resources Road West Wing Etobicoke Ontario M9P-3V6, Telephone 416-235-6371-fax 416-235-5960 as the Public Utilities Inc. are looking for a better quality water source. If piles are driven down for development as such this will defeat the monitoring of wells as I have mentioned above.and also damage more wells as there are still farm lands in this area.

Mr. Stockwell In 1994 I have experienced damages to my well when the G.P. Flakeboard Plant was being constructed directly across the road from my 82 acres zoned R-A Rural Area as I have lived here all my life with my famiIy and as my father before me and my Grandfather before him.

To read more of this document, please click here


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David Helwig

About the Author: David Helwig

David Helwig's journalism career spans seven decades beginning in the 1960s. His work has been recognized with national and international awards.
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