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The sign appeared one day in the spring of 2021 in front of what residents had always considered a public dock. It was where many launched their boats, where their kids learned to swim.

Suddenly it wasn鈥檛 theirs anymore.

The new owner was initially a mystery. Golf Course Community Two Inc. was the name on property records.

Residents eventually learned the company was controlled by Shakir Rehmatullah, president of Markham-based FLATO Developments, which is proposing to build on the shores of Sturgeon Lake, where the dock stands.

Rehmatullah鈥檚 name didn鈥檛 mean much to the residents at the time. All they knew was that he was a developer from the city, and they had lots of reasons for opposing the project no matter who was behind it.

But in the two years since then, as Rehmatullah has become a recurring character in the province鈥檚 Greenbelt scandal, the community鈥檚 resistance has intensified.

鈥淚t has deepened our suspicion,鈥� said Sylvia Keesmaat, co-founder of No to FLATO, a . 鈥淲e don鈥檛 trust him.鈥�

Rehmatullah鈥檚 鈥榠n the middle of鈥� Ford-developer controversy

What鈥檚 happening in Cameron, a rural village in Kawartha Lakes, shows how the Greenbelt scandal has stretched far beyond the protected area itself. Many of those battling against the project see their fight as being connected to a larger resistance to the Ford government鈥檚 developer-friendly planning policies.

Rehmatullah, who has described himself as a personal friend of the premier, has figured into all of Ford鈥檚 developer-related controversies this year.

He鈥檚 the only developer who had land removed from the Greenbelt who also attended Ford鈥檚 daughter鈥檚 wedding and stag party. He was on the Las Vegas trip that cost a cabinet minister and political aide their jobs in September. He has received the most Minister鈥檚 Zoning Orders 鈥� the controversial planning tool issued with unprecedented frequency by the Ford government.

鈥淗e鈥檚 in the middle of it all,鈥� Keesmaat said.

Rehmatullah鈥檚 reputation in Cameron has taken a major hit in the process.

FLATO says it鈥檚 received 鈥榦verwhelming community support鈥�

Despite his high-profile philanthropy 鈥� FLATO has made large donations to a and in nearby Lindsay, and the company鈥檚 $3-million gift to a local hospital is 鈥� many residents have lately been focused on Rehmatullah鈥檚 mentions in the , in which Commissioner J. David Wake suggested Rehmatullah was not telling the truth.

Rehmatullah told Wake that no one connected to Ford鈥檚 government let him know it was considering changes to the Greenbelt, but Wake found that 鈥渜uestionable,鈥� given that Rehmatullah鈥檚 lawyers sent unsolicited emails about removing lands to Ryan Amato, the former housing ministry staffer who the auditor general and integrity commissioner found orchestrated the ill-fated land swap.

Wake wrote that Rehmatullah鈥檚 explanation that the removal requests were sent in the normal course of business 鈥渟trains credulity.鈥� He added he was unable to conclude 鈥渨hat or who鈥� prompted Rehmatullah to request his and a partner鈥檚 lands be removed. 鈥淏ut I find it is more likely than not that someone did.鈥�

Rehmatullah declined to be interviewed for this story. A lawyer for his company did not answer questions about the integrity commissioner鈥檚 report.

FLATO鈥檚 lawyer, Michael Fenrick, said the company has received 鈥渙verwhelming community support鈥� across Ontario.

鈥淭here will always be people who resist growth and change in their communities. 鈥� The path to community building takes time and care and it is a job FLATO takes seriously.鈥�

The sale of the dock

Before Rehmatullah became associated with the Greenbelt scandal, there were several incidents related to his activities in Cameron that residents say raise questions.

First there was the sale of the dock on Long Beach Road, which had been privately owned by a local residents鈥� association but open to the public.

Property records show it was transferred in 2020 from the Long Beach Residents鈥� Association to a numbered company owned by Donald and Debra Abel for $34,316.

Donald Abel, a former NDP MPP, was the residents鈥� association鈥檚 longtime president.

The Abels then sold the dock property, together with some rental cottages and a general store on the waterfront to a numbered company controlled by Rehmatullah in the spring of 2021 for a combined $680,000. The property was then transferred to Golf Course Community Two Inc., another company controlled by Rehmatullah.

In a short interview on his doorstep, Donald Abel said the residents鈥� association sold the dock to his company to pay back a loan that accumulated as a result of legal fees incurred by the association over a . The dock鈥檚 sale price was set to cover the exact amount of the debt 鈥� 鈥渞ight to the penny,鈥� Abel said, adding that the decision to sell was recommended and approved by the association鈥檚 five-person board of directors, which included Abel and his wife.

Regarding the sale of his properties to Rehmatullah, Abel said he didn鈥檛 know who the buyer was, only that it was a numbered company. He said he assumed they would continue running the dock and cottages as he had.

Abel wouldn鈥檛 say if he would have done anything differently if he did know.

鈥淚t is what it is. I can鈥檛 change it,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e just surprised that it turned out this way.鈥�

FLATO鈥檚 lawyer did not respond to Abel鈥檚 comments.

Residents raised concern over excavation, tree cutting

Around the same time that the no trespassing sign appeared at the dock, residents noticed Rehmatullah had bought other properties in the area. Excavating equipment started to appear on some of the recently sold properties, they said.

In one case, workers hired by Rehmatullah started drilling on one of the farms they didn鈥檛 own.

鈥淭hey came onto our property in the spring 鈥� end of March, early April, when the ground鈥檚 really soft 鈥� with a big, heavy-track vehicle and ripped up a lot of the soil,鈥� said Paul Carew, a 73-year-old semi-retired farmer who grows crops and has beef cattle.

Carew is one of just a handful of holdouts in the area. 鈥淚 like owning the property and we don鈥檛 need the money,鈥� he said, explaining why he hasn鈥檛 sold to FLATO despite several offers.

FLATO eventually paid Carew for the damage the workers caused to his property, Carew said, but only after he gave the company a deadline and threatened to hire a lawyer. Carew would not say how much the company paid him.

FLATO鈥檚 lawyer said Carew鈥檚 explanation for why the company paid him for damage caused by their contractors is 鈥渟peculative鈥� and 鈥渨rong.鈥�

鈥淩egrettably, damage does happen on development projects from time-to-time and sometimes this affects third parties, such as Mr. Carew,鈥� Fenrick wrote. 鈥淔LATO pays appropriate compensation to people whose property is adversely affected by its contractors.鈥�

A couple months later, another holdout, Leslie Dyment, a sheep farmer and longtime resident, noticed workers clearing farmland on a recently sold property across the road from her.

An avid birder, Dyment knew it was prohibited to cut trees and clear land during the spring 鈥� when 鈥� without doing a proper survey of the area. She contacted the Canadian Wildlife Service and a few days later the clearing stopped, she said.

The Canadian Wildlife Service sent a letter to FLATO in June 2021 after being contacted by a concerned citizen, a service spokesperson said. 鈥淭he primary purpose of the letter was to inform them of the protections that the Migratory Birds Regulations afford to nests of migratory birds and their responsibilities under the law.鈥�

A lawyer for FLATO said any allegation that the company engaged in illegal land clearing is 鈥渂aseless, false and defamatory.鈥�

FLATO met with opposition and support

FLATO鈥檚 proposed resort in Cameron, dubbed 鈥淜awartha Bay,鈥� includes an 18-hole golf course, marina, 鈥渟pa-like鈥� amenities and 423 鈥渟easonal dwelling units,鈥� including luxury estate homes and 鈥渃ozy cottages.鈥�

Residents who oppose the project have a long list of concerns. They fear the loss of biodiversity and agricultural land; they don鈥檛 believe there is sufficient infrastructure to support the scope of the development, particularly as it relates to water usage, which is already strained in the area; and they鈥檙e worried about what a dramatic increase in seasonal tourism will do to the character of their community.

鈥淲hen you see the land being destroyed it鈥檚 heartbreaking,鈥� said Dyment, 70.

Not everyone in Cameron is opposed to the project. , two residents spoke in favour of it 鈥� one noting FLATO鈥檚 鈥減ositive community involvement鈥� 鈥� while eight people spoke against it.

At the same meeting, Keesmaat presented to council a petition signed by more than 250 people opposed to the project. She told the Star the number of petitioners is now more than 400.

FLATO鈥檚 lawyer said the company 鈥渂elieves in open and transparent public processes,鈥� and it has received 鈥渟upportive comments and goodwill from across the Cameron community.鈥�

Unlike some of FLATO鈥檚 other developments that have come under the microscope in recent months, there is no MZO for the proposed golf resort in Cameron, so it will have to wend its way through the standard development application process, which could take months.

鈥淢y constituents have a lot of concerns, and I share those concerns,鈥� said Mike Perry, councillor for the area. Perry said the concerns are widely held, not just among the No to FLATO activists.

In September, Kawartha Lakes council until a review of public comments and technical studies are completed.

Earlier this year Kawartha Lakes council 鈥� which override local planning authority and limit public consultation 鈥� at least until the municipality completes its growth strategy. The vote came it had received for a project in Lindsay that 鈥� without any input from council 鈥� dramatically increased the size and scope of that development.

The fact FLATO鈥檚 application in Cameron will have to follow the standard processes 鈥� including that residents who oppose the project will be able to make their case against it 鈥� is a comfort to Keesmaat.

鈥淭hat gives us a lot of hope,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e have a very strong case as to why this should not happen.鈥�