It may be a long time before he gets his answer, but Rick Ward said he’s willing to wait, and fight.

Ward was one of the appellants who attended an Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) hearing earlier this month to oppose a new zoning designation for Little Europe resort on the Muskoka River. That hearing lasted only a few hours before Little Europe owner Rolef Bakema decided he would rather pursue his right to legal non-conforming status in provincial court.

The resort continues to be the only property in Bracebridge not subject to the town’s comprehensive zoning bylaw, which was passed in 2006.

If Bakema fails in his attempt to gain legal non-conforming status, the matter will go back to the OMB, which likely would not be until fall of 2008.

Ward said the process has left him frustrated but determined.

“We jumped through hoop after hoop to get here . . . and it turned out to be a waste of time,” said Ward. “We’re not going to give this up. This will just make us fight harder.”

Ward contends that the resort, which is located on Ashley Lane, is too large and too dense. The new zoning would open the door for massive expansion of the 73-lot resort, he said, harm the local environment and pose a risk to safety through increased traffic.

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