Frontenac County Council - Sep. 24/10

Jeff Green | Sep 30, 2010

Twenty-year study for Highway 7 between Peterborough and Kaladar

Consultants from the Ministry of Transportation (MTO) made a short presentation to Frontenac County Council on September 22 last week, introducing a long-term study that is designed to “provide strategic direction and technical information for future Ministry planning/environmental assessment studies, provincial plans, policy, program and investment priorities” said Darren Waters of the Kingston MTO office.

Waters added that the study “will not be identifying specific strategies in certain areas,” adding that it is “basically a strategic direction study for the ministry.”

Frontenac Islands Mayor Jim Vanden Hoek said that Frontenac County politicians should closely monitor this study and seek opportunities to get involved. “It would seem to me that the study on the Highway 7 corridor might be one of the most significant opportunities that will come forward over the next 20 years.”

He added that “Highway 7 is the next 401, 10 to 20 years from now.”

Central Frontenac Mayor Janet Gutowski said that, given that the Trans Canada trail runs adjacent to Highway 7 in the study area, “bicycle transportation should be included”.

Coincidentally, five years ago almost to the day, an MTO manager, Ed Horba, made a presentation to Frontenac County Council about Highway 7.

On September 21, 2005, Horba outlined plans for specific upgrades to Highway 7 between Wemyss (west of Perth) and Sharbot Lake that were to include new paving, two sets of passing lanes along the stretch of road, and improved exits at several locations.

At that time Bill MacDonald, the then Mayor of Central Frontenac, took Horba to task. “I’m concerned that this project was promised for 2004. It was to be completed in 2004, in fact, and now there is no time frame at all,” MacDonald said.

Horba had replied that it was not his role to decide when projects are to be completed; that he only took care of preparatory work such as environmental studies and property purchases.

The project that Horba and MacDonald were discussing never has come to fruition. Instead, in 2008 and 2009, the stretch between Wemyss and Sharbot Lake was re-paved. When asked why the rest of the project had been scrapped, MTO officials cited budget constraints.

(An account of that 2005 Frontenac County meeting can be found at

frontenacnews.ca/2005/September_29/hwy_7_upgrade.html)

Fundraising campaign on hold

A proposal from Julie Shillington, Administrator of Fairmount Home, raised some eyebrows on Council, and was ultimately deferred.

Shillington was not present at the meeting, but in a written report under the heading “Fairmount Home – Auditorium Redevelopment”, she outlined how the Fairmount Home auditorium has deteriorated. Among the deficiencies noted in the report were a leaky roof, a noisy ventilation system, no air conditioning, an outdated electrical panel, poor acoustics and lighting, inaccessible washrooms, and more.

While Shillington noted that it would not be appropriate for a Council that is at the tail end of its term to commit to the $1.5 million upgrade to the auditorium that was called for in a 2009 consultant’s report, she asked that Council allow a fundraising campaign to be undertaken, with the goal of raising at least $250,000.

She noted that over $25,000 has already been received towards the project without any formal fundraising campaign.

Frontenac Islands Mayor Jim Vanden Hoek said he was uncomfortable with the proposal. “Even though they are not asking us to commit to doing the upgrade, once a fundraising campaign is underway and the public has committed money, how can Council say no to the project? This is not the right way to do this. Council needs to debate the project itself first, and if we decide to go ahead, then a fundraising campaign is appropriate. I would like to see this deferred to the new Council.”

County Chief Administrator Elisabeth Savill said, “Julie apologises for not being here to present this...I understand where Councilor Vanden Hoek is coming from. Council would have to make a decision before starting on this. I think Julie's initiative is based on the needs, and the desire to have a fundraising campaign in place. After all, the roof is leaking. We are simply recognising that this is an area that is highly utilised by the residents all the time.”

The request was deferred until the new Council is in place on December 1.