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Feature Article - November 22, 2007Addington Highlands Council - Nov. 19by Jule Koch Brison
AH bites the bullet – votes to build new Hartsmere bridge
Since receiving the bad news recently that not just one, but two of its bridges need immediate repairs, Addington Highlands has been considering its options.
The Flinton bridge was built in 1935 and the Hartsmere bridge in 1932. They have both been deemed unsafe and the Flinton bridge has been closed. However, there is an alternate route for the Flinton bridge, so repairing the Hartsmere bridge has higher priority.
At Monday night’s council meeting, Roads Supervisor Royce Rosenblath reported that the cost of replacing the Hartsmere bridge alone has been estimated at between $200,000 and $250,000 (the township’s entire roads maintenance budget in 2007 was around $900,000).
The township has been planning to put a 5-tonne limit on the Hartsmere bridge, but Rosenblath pointed out that the township would then not be able to perform winter maintenance on the road – “An empty sand truck weighs more than 5 tonnes,” he said.
Rosenblath described one alternative, which is to lay steel I-beams across the top of the bridge and cover them with wooden decking. He said that could cost $40,000, unless the township was able to get some used steel that he had heard about. “But that would be a band-aid solution,” he said. In order to lay the beams, the bridge would have to be closed for 2 –3 days, so the township would still have to build a detour whether council chose to repair the bridge or build a new one. Rosenblath pointed out that it would be easy to build a detour right now, as the creek is lower than he’s ever seen. Also, if the bridge were temporarily patched up there would still have to be a load limit on it, though trucks would be able to get over for winter maintenance.
Deputy Mayor Helen Yanch asked if the guardrails would still be adequate since the beams would raise the level of the bridge, and Rosenblath replied that they would have to be replaced as well.
Reeve Henry Hogg said he couldn’t see spending almost one quarter of the estimated cost of a new bridge on a stop-gap solution. He said he had been enquiring about a new round of funding for municipalities, COMRIF 4, but had been unable to find out anything about it. In any case, he said, COMRIF 4 would take time, so it wouldn’t help with the Hartsmere bridge, though maybe the township might be able to get some funding for the Flinton bridge.
Council voted unanimously to proceed immediately with building a new Hartsmere bridge.
Council also discussed whether to tender the project or hire the same equipment that is currently repairing the Hartsmere Road. All members of council agreed that there is no time to tender the project, and since the Hartsmere Road tenders are recent, the township probably would not get better prices. They voted to proceed with the quotes they already have.
KALADAR WASTE RECYCLING: Council received a quote from Fraser Haulage of $150/ton for pick up and disposal of glass. Council has also been debating whether to enter into a three-year contract with Fraser Haulage for recycling at a cost of $2080/month. Reeve Hogg said that he had recently met with the reeve of Greater Madawaska, who said that changes to recycling regulations might be coming soon. Hogg said he wondered if the bins from Fraser Haulage would be of any use to the township then. Council decided to invite Mr. Fraser to attend a Waste Management Committee meeting on December 3.
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Feature Article - November 22, 2007South Frontenac Official Plan Ammendments Ready for Public Scrutinyby Jeff Green
South Frontenac Council has spent several evenings working out their differences over the five-year review of the township’s official plan.
While they have not exactly come to anything resembling unanimity on a couple of contentious issues, Council agreed to present the proposed amended plan to the public at an open house on November 27, at the township office in Sydenham from 2-4 and 7-9 pm.
Many of the changes that are proposed for the Official Plan, which was originally adopted in 2002, came about as the result of changes in provincial regulations that were announced as recently as this past March.
Among the issues that were up for debate between members of council, the one that took up the most time, and is still contentious in the minds of some councilors, is the prohibition of development on private lanes that do not lead to waterfront properties, so-called “back-lot development”.
These kinds of developments are not common, but concerns were raised over access by fire and ambulance on narrow lanes.
“Council recognises the health and safety concerns that are there, and our current position is, we will not support new back-lot development,” said township Clerk-Administrator Gord Burns.
Storrington Councilor John Fillion has been an outspoken opponent of the prohibition, on the grounds that it tramples on a landowner’s right to parcel off lots and give or sell them to family members.
“You either own your own land, or you don’t own your land,” he said in an interview, adding that it’s up to the individual to decide what kind of road they want to build. “This business about getting emergency vehicles down those roads is merely an excuse. You can live in a ski chalet if you want to; you can’t get a fire truck there, but you can live there anyway.”
For Fillion, the new rule will stop people from being able to sever lots for family members to move back to the area.
Loughborough Councilor Ron Vandewal voted to support the prohibition, although he had misgivings.
“I didn’t really see anything wrong with back-lot development” he said, “but since it can still be done if there is a plan of subdivision, I decided to go along with the change.”
There are stringent requirements under a plan of subdivision, ensuring that access lanes are built to a township road standard.
“Plans of subdivision also allow the township to have good information about the capacity of the land to handle development, because of hydro-geological and other studies that are required,” said Township Planner Lindsay Mills.There were other issues that were the subject of debate, including development within hamlets; whether the limit of three severances per existing lot should be permanent; and the boundaries of the village of Sydenham.
One of the major underlying questions that informed the Official Plan review is the pace of development within South Frontenac.
“The township grew in population by 11% from 2001 to 2006; that’s a pretty high rate,’ said Lindsay Mills.
While growth means more revenue, it can also mean more demands on infrastructure, and striking a balance was one of the intentions for both council and staff through the Official Plan review.
John Fillion does not think the township should be worried about over-development, however. “We’re not growing hand over fist,” he said, “Last year they talked about a building boom. They had 85 new homes, I don’t call that a boom. I don’t know any other logic to what is going on than to say the township is in the hands of the cottage associations, who don’t want anything to happen here,” he said.
Council will re-visit the Official Plan after hearing from the public next week.
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Feature Article - November 22, 2007South Frontenac Council - Nov. 20by Wilma Kenny
Official Plan Review: Olivia Groenewegen addressed council on behalf of the Concerned Farmers of the Future. In reference to the Official Plan Review, she noted the township’s stated commitment to "enhance and improve the rural character of the township," and expressed her group’s concerns about loss of farmland, threats to groundwater, and increased traffic that come with development and declining farm sustainability. She suggested some potential solutions: control of strip development and infilling of lots on private lanes, in order to preserve farmland and reduce the risk of groundwater depletion, and greater awareness and support in general of agriculture. Quoting the Official Plan’s commitment to "making this an outstanding rural community capable of sustaining itself for future generations," she summarized: "Agriculture is the key component to sustaining an entire community."
An open house for residents to learn more about the 2007 Official Plan Review will be held Tuesday November 27, 2-4 & 7-9 at the Sydenham township hall.
Western Cataraqui Region Groundwater Survey
Council passed a motion receiving the survey report, agreed to support the creation of a groundwater protection and implementation committee, and agreed to consider the recommendations of the study when doing future updates of the Township’s plan and zoning by-laws.
Sydenham Water Bills
Township treasurer Deb Bracken reported, "The process that needs to be completed before the bills can be calculated and mailed for the Sydenham Waterworks has been long and frustrating for all parties."
The final claim to OSTAR could not be submitted until all contract holdbacks had been released, and the ‘growth related cost" recalculated, as neither federal nor provincial governments will pay subsidy on the growth component. The final claim was submitted October 15, but the project analyst estimates that clearance from the prov/fed governments won’t be given for at least eight weeks. Following this, the water by-law will need to be updated to accommodate any adjustments to the growth component and billing schedule.
Councillor McPhail commented that he felt there must be political input before the bylaw is revised, and CAO Burns assured him it would come before a Committee of the Whole for discussion. Burns did not expect there to be much change from the original by-law.
So, no capital cost water bills for Sydenham residents before Christmas, but some time in early 2008...
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Feature Article - November 15, 2007Central Frontenac Council - Nov. 12by Jeff Green
Council wants clarification before finalizing Official Plan
After submitting their final plan 4 months ago, Central Frontenac Township has finally heard back from The Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing (OMMAH) regarding the five-year review of their Official Plan, and the OMMAH is asking for several changes before approving the plan.
Chief among the changes is something council had not heard anything about before - a designation of two major Lakes, Crow and Eagle, as “Highly Sensitive Trout Lakes”. This designation brings severe restrictions on development.
“Further development on those lakes must be 300 metres back,” said the township’s planning consultant Glenn Tunnock. “What you are looking at is a non-impact lot.”
Tunnock said that the Ministry of the Environment, which is responsible for the designation, was “prepared to come to the meeting tonight, but they are off because of the Remembrance Day holiday.”
“I’m just wondering what people on Crow and Eagle Lake would think about this. It’s certainly new to us, and it will be new to them when they come back in the spring,” said Councilor Frances Smith.
“Remember, it does not apply to existing lots of record,” said Glenn Tunnock, “only to new lots.”
“I would like to speak to the ministry to make sure this is substantiated,” said Mayor Janet Gutowski. “I wonder what lake will be next - are other lakes going to pop up some other time? We ask people to come to public meetings and no one knew about any of this.”
Another major change proposed by the province is an increase in the so-called “ribbon of life” around all shorelines in the township, which will be increased to 30 metres (about 100 feet) from the current 15 metres. No structure can be built, nor any vegetation removed, within a ribbon of life.
“Certainly it’s an imposition on any one who is planning to build a shed or a gazebo,” Tunnock said. “We could try to establish instead that the average of the adjacent landowners’ outbuildings be used instead of the 30 metre setback. I leave that in council’s hands.”
“My feeling is that the Ministry of the Environment, who are behind these changes, are coming anyway, so let’s ask them. I’m sidetracked in all of this over the mining issue. We are asked to tie people’s hands over a shed, and yet the province is not addressing the Mining Act. I look forward to talking about these two very different policy directions on the part of the provincial government,” said Gutowski.
Peer Review over Condominium Proposal
The Primrose is a proposed set of two three-unit townhouses on a five-acre lot on the east basin of Sharbot Lake. The focus of the development is on environmentally friendly luxury condominiums that would be more commonly seen in places like the Muskokas than the Land o’ Lakes. The proposed units will range from 3,000 to 4,000 square feet each, each including “executive elevators to homeowners from the main floor to the third floor observatory, a spacious room offering a panoramic view of the lake and surrounding green space” according to the prospectus for the development.
Glenn Tunnock, the planning consultant for Central Frontenac Township, has been engaged by Cameron Chiarot, the developer behind The Primrose, and he brought the development forward to a council meeting earlier this week. Tunnock said that the developer has “to date complied with all requests for information and studies.” Tunnock suggested that a peer review of the proposal be conducted because of his own familiarity with the developer, and that an application for a zoning bylaw amendment be heard at the township council meeting in December.
“Is it not wise to wait until the peer review of the proposal is complete before holding the public meeting?” asked Councilor Frances Smith.
“I don’t think the developer will balk at that,” said Tunnock.
The developer will pay for the peer review.
No asphalt in Mountain Grove? – Councilor Norm Guntensperger asked why, in the light of a determination that putting in a concrete pad at the Mountain Grove outdoor rink would be too expensive, the possibility of an asphalt pad is not included in a report on pending public works projects that was presented to Council.
“I would suggest sending the matter back to the Rec, Committee first,” said Mayor Gutowski
“In the minutes from the committee, it says they want council to consider other options,” said Councilor John Purdon.
“I was just going to say that the site is questionable in regard to asphalt or concrete, so there is another layer to be considered,” said township CAO John Duchene.
Staff will consider the possibility of materials and will report back to council.
Fire Services response areas - Fire Chief Mark MacDonald brought some information about changes that have been made to the protocol for sending out fire crews from the four township fire stations and the Piccadilly substation.
“What we are looking at achieving in terms of our fire response areas is the shortest distances for crews to drive. A new map, which outlines the protocol that has been developed over time, shows that the Mountain Grove Hall, for example, has the smallest region as the first response, but the largest as the second response crew.
“The first and second responders are always called for structural fires,” said Mark MacDonald, in explaining how the system works.
MacDonald also brought information concerning the 192 calls to the Central Frontenac Fire and Emergency Service so far this year. The largest number of calls, 55 (28.6%) have been medical assist calls, followed by motor vehicle collisions, 41 (21.4%), structural and miscellaneous fires, 38 (19.8%) ,and grass/brush fires, 35 (18.2%).
The Sharbot Lake Station has had the busiest crew in terms of first response, followed by Parham, Mountain Grove, and Arden.
Building total reaching $8.5 million – As of the end of October, 38 new houses had received permits in 2007, as compared to 30 and 40 at the same point in 2006 and 2005, respectively.
The total value of construction, including the $1.5 million construction project at the Sharbot Lake Medical Centre, is $8,491,000 thus far this year. Figures for January to November 1 in 2006 were $6.6 million, and $7.2 million in 2005.
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Feature Article - November 8, 2007Addington Highlands Council - Nov.5by Jeff Green
Trouble over bridges Roads Superintendent Royce Rosenblath did not have much in the way of good news for members of Addington Highlands Council this week. He informed them about two bridges that likely need replacing.
Jewell Engineering was in the midst of carrying out a required roads and bridges needs study for the township last week, when they found that the Flinton Bridge, which is located on the Deer Rock Lake Road, 100 metres off County Road 29, has developed a serious problem and was declared unsafe.
“We've closed the bridge temporarily,” Rosenblath told council, “basically we've got to wait until we get the formal report from the engineers before making a final decision”.
Rosenblath added that he expects the report will be completed soon, perhaps before the next council meeting. It might include an estimated cost for replacing the bridge. The bridge closing is causing a detour, but there is another bridge in the vicinity, and people can access their properties.
A second bridge, the Hartsmere Bridge, has also been recommended for replacement. “The Hartsmere Bridge is not closed, but it's going to take a load limit, which could have an effect on winter maintenance costs. What I'm really concerned about is the sand truck. We might need to use half loads all winter, which will cost quite a bit more,” he said.
Councilor Louise Scott asked, “Do we have anything budgeted for bridges?” and Rosenblath replied, “No, we chose to go with the Hughes Landing Road”.
The Hartsmere Bridge had been identified as needing replacing in the previous roads and bridge needs study, but the Flinton Bridge received a clean bill of health at that time.
Oliver Road – The township is going to pay for a survey to determine what property the township owns at the disputed Oliver Road.
Firehall damage attributed to skateboard park misuse – Fire Chief Casey Cuddy started his report on the condition of the Northbrook fire hall by asking a question, “Is there any chance we are looking at a new fire hall in the next two years?”
When no one answered, he carried on, saying “The reason is there has been a broken window there, cars are parked in front of the doors, dents in the walls and roof from rocks, and then there was the garbage can full of human feces.”
“We had a meeting after the window was broken, and the OPP assured us that they would monitor the skateboard park. But if these things continue, we'll have to fence in the skateboard park and set up specific hours of operation,” said Reeve Henry Hogg.
“It's too bad the kids don't seem to appreciate the skate park and keep out of trouble. Of the 40 kids I saw at the park one day there were only two skateboards,” Casey Cuddy said.
Hydro One herbicide – Hydro One has scheduled forestry maintenance beneath some of their lines in the southern end of Addington Highlands. They will doing some cutting and a low volume application of Garlon 4.
Generators – Lennox and Addington County will be transferring the ownership of a generator, which was earmarked for emergency use and is located in Denbigh, to the township.
MOE letter – The township received a letter from Jon Morish of the Ministry of the Environment, asking the township for an action plan to deal with “several matters requiring attention” at the Buckshot Lake landfill site. The letter asks for the plan by December 7, 2007. Council decided to send a letter back asking for a deferral until budget deliberations in 2008, because the plan will require a commitment of resources, which are not budgeted for this year.
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Feature Article - November 8, 2007South Frontenac Councilby Wilma Kenny
Rob McRae of the Cataraqui Regional Conservation Authority presented council with an outline of a new provincially funded program directed at protecting drinking water sources. The Sydenham water system, which draws from Sydenham Lake, is one of the most vulnerable areas in the Cataraqui region, so it will be the area the study will focus on. Although the program will run for four years, one of the early portions will involve residents within a 200 meter radius of the water intake. They will be encouraged to close unused wells, upgrade outdated septic systems and undertake runoff and erosion protection with partial financial assistance from the CRCA. Further information about the program will be provided to local property owners in early December.
Brett Dark spoke as a representative of Fourteen Island and Mink Lake Association about the Lake Stewardship plan being undertaken by the property owners of the Meredith Subdivision area. This is a community effort aimed at maintained or improving their lakes and the surrounding watersheds. Presently local volunteers are collecting data: they plan to produce a ‘state of the lake’ report in Spring 2008. Following that, they will confirm issues and identify actions needed. The final plan will be in place in the summer of 2009.
Dale and Kris Bowes have submitted an application for a zoning by-law amendment to allow them to replace an existing cottage with a new dwelling with an attached garage. The lot is slightly over acre, with 165 feet of frontage on Knowlton Lake, which is classified as a highly sensitive lake trout lake. One corner of the proposed structure would encroach into the 30 meter setback by 5.3 meters. Council complied with the CRCA’s request that a decision be deferred until the exact location of the septic tank could be determined, in the hope that a longer set-back might be achieved. Three neighbours objected to the development of permanent residence on the lot, citing concerns about the increased use of the road, and possible negative effects on the lake and neighbouring cottage community.
Patty Lumb has resigned from the committee of adjustment as she’s moving away. Council made a motion to thank her for her work on the committee, and another to appoint Len McCullough to replace her.
The Sydenham Santa Claus parade will be Saturday Nov 24, beginning at 10am from the Sydenham fire hall. It's sponsored by the Loughborough Firefighters Association, and the contact person is to be Troy Emery, president of the LFA. He can be contacted through the township.
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Feature Article - November 1, 2007North Frontenac Council - Oct. 25by Jeff Green
Rancor Over Robertsville
At a North Frontenac Council meeting in Snow Road last Thursday (October 25), Councilors Wayne Cole and Bob Olmstead expressed their frustration with the fact that an emergency council meeting had not been convened to deal with the construction of a cabin on the road allowance at the Robertsville mine.
The cabin was constructed by members of the Ardoch Algonquin First Nation in the days following their decision to vacate the Robertsville mine site. In addition to the cabin, there is a tent trailer on the site, as well as a large construction trailer.
Mayor Ron Maguire made a verbal report to council in which he outlined the actions he had taken on the matter.
“I learned about it when I received a phone call from Art Cota last Wednesday [Oct. 17] asking me if the township was thinking about tearing down the structure,” Maguire told Council. Maguire was occupied with his duties as Frontenac County Warden on that day, and he told Council that under normal circumstances “this would have been dealt with as an administrative matter, but given the volatility of the situation I contacted our lawyer and bylaw officer myself.”
Council was informed of the circumstances by email late in the week and it was eventually determined that the bylaw officer would deliver an order to vacate the township property. The request was undated, which is different than is normal in such cases, where five days are given.
“We are acting on the matter, as we should,” Maguire said. “It is my impression that since the OPP did not enforce a court order to remove protesters from the mine site itself, they would not enforce an order to remove structures from the side of the road. An order to remove will be issued today [Oct. 25], for township liability issues, but the enforcement will not take place at this time.”
“Council should be included,” said Councilor Wayne Cole.
“I think they should have been allowed two days' grace,” said Councilor Bob Olmstead. “I have to agree with Councilor Cole that a meeting should have been called.”
“How would you have handled it differently,” Councilor Fred Perry asked Bob Olmstead.
“I'd have called a special meeting,” Olmstead answered.
“Then?”
“Bylaw enforcement, OPP. I'm saying it should have been a full Council decision, and it should have been acted upon smartly,” Olmstead said.
“My reason for acting was to deliver the message that the township would not be liable, and in retrospect I wouldn't have acted any differently than I did,” said Mayor Maguire.
Hydro Lane ATV problem This past summer the residents of Hydro Lane, a Crown Land road that is no longer covered in a maintenance agreement between North Frontenac Township and the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR), asked the township if they could use some gravel that has been piled near the road for a number of years to improve the road.
The residents were committed to paying a contractor to spread the gravel and the township decided to allow the gravel to be used.
The work was subsequently done, but at last week's North Frontenac Council meeting Deputy Mayor Jim Beam reported that he has been informed by Hydro Lane resident Bob Buskie that over the Thanksgiving weekend the road had been heavily run by ATVs, and was now full of ruts. He said the gravel is mostly gone.
“The responsibility, because it is Crown Land, falls to the MNR. That being said, the taxpayers on that road pay maybe $100,000 in municipal taxes,” said Deputy Mayor Jim Beam.
“If we start doing work on that road, are we going to do other roads?” asked Councilor Wayne Good.
“The first thing might be to pass a motion to let the MNR know about the problems that have arisen, and that they have abdicated their responsibility for that road,” said Mayor Ron Maguire, “but underlying this issue is the damage that ATVs have been doing to local roads.”
Councilor Fred Perry looked at the issue differently.
“ATVs are a problem, but the people knew they were on Crown Land when they bought their property. About 75% of the properties sold on those Crown roads were originally sold as water access only,” he said.
Tappin’s Bay – Councilor Fred Perry, who in the past chaired a township task force that worked on a plan to repair the boat launch at Tappin's Bay on Mazinaw Lake near Cloyne, proposed that the township refrain from asking Addigton Highlands Township to pay for half of this year's maintenance bill of $434.50 for Tappin's Bay. The bill covers hydro costs, minor dock repairs, and snow-plowing.
“The point is, it's been very easy for Addington Highlands to say 'well, we continue to support Tappin's Bay’. It's time they did something about boat access in Addington Highlands, because Tappin’s Bay has become more of a parking lot than a boat launch,” Perry said.
Many of the properties on Mazinaw Lake are located in Addington Highlands (AH), and there is no public boat launch on the portion of the lake that is located in AH.
A proposal to establish a boat launch was brought to AH Council this past summer, but has been stalled because of the concerns raised by a neighbouring property owner who would be affected.
North Frontenac Council decided to pay the entire maintenance bill and encourage Addington Highlands to establish their own boat launch.
JEPP Grant application – Township Fire Chief Steve Riddell sent a letter requesting that council select some specific projects for a grant application from the Federal Joint Emergency Preparedness Program, which pays 50% of the cost for approved expenditures.
He suggested making a generator to power the present Township Administration building and the Fire Hall Evacuation Centre. Secondly, he suggested applying for funds to replace the current Base radios in the three township fire halls, which would cost $850.
If the township receives one of the grants, there will be budgetary implications for the township portion of the projects.
Fire Chief Riddell's proposals were accepted.
Lions want to collect glass from waste sites – James Wilson, from the Land O' Lakes Lions Club, wrote a letter to council, requesting permission to gather returnable glass wine, liquor, and beer bottles from the dump site in order to return them for refund. All monies would be used to fund Lions' projects.
Township Clerk/Planner Brenda DeFosse said, “It's a great idea, but it comes down to allowing people to come in to our waste sites, and it becomes a liability issue.”
“I'm in favour of it, it's a way to divert from landfill,” said Wayne Good.
“We'll have to look into the insurance issue, and check our certificate of approval for the waste site as well,” said Chief Administrative Officer Cheryl Robson.
The matter was deferred.
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Feature Article - January 10, 2008 Council to apply for infrastructure grant to pay for Flinton bridge.by Jeff Green
The reconstruction of the Flinton bridge, which was condemned late last year as the result of a bridge study, will be Addington Highlands’ candidate for funding under a $300 million provincial infrastructure granting program whose deadline is coming up next month.
The ReNew Ontario program is a one-time investment program, administered by Infrastructure Ontario. Unlike other recent municipal infrastructure programs which required investments of 1/3 of the cost of projects by municipalities, this one will provide up to 100% funding for approved projects.
In order to submit an application, the township will have to submit a preliminary design and budget for the project.
Roads Superindentant Royce Rosenblath asked if Council wanted him to approach Jewel Engineering, the company that prepared the recent roads and bridges study, to see if they could provide the required bridge design and engineering study. “We will have to spend money on the design, but will have to get that done even if we didn't apply for the grant,” said Roads Superintendant Royce Rosenblath.
The deadline of the application is February 15, which makes the timelines too tight for the township to tender the design work, so Rosenblatrh was asked to approach Jewel Engineering, to see what they will charge for the work.
Rosenblath said the bridge will be expensive to replace, probably costing half a million dollars or more.
Addington Highlands received grant money for infrastructure last year, to help in the rebuilding of the Skootamata Lake/Hughes Landings Roads off Highway 41 near Cloyne.
Commercial permit holidays survive, for now- Addington Highlands Council has decided to maintain its policy of waiving building permit fees for commercial construction in 2008, although there may be some tweaking of the system when budget talks take place later this coming spring.
“Two people who are planning commercial work but did not get their permits before the new year have contacted me, wondering if the permit fee holiday will continue,” said Reeve Henry Hogg, “It likely will in some form but we need to look at a mechanism to cover our costs if extra visits are required”.
Deputy Reeve Helen Yanch proposed that the current policy, wihch has been in place for three years, be “kept in place as it stands at least until budget time.” This was accepted by council.
Cross Lake Road debacle nearing solution – Norene Traynor appeared before council to ask whether council had made any progess in the case of her road, the Cross Lake Road, which was closed up by an adjoining landowner, severely limiting her access to her own property.
Reeve Henry Hogg responded: “I have been in the process of negotiation with Mr. Shier [the adjacent landowner] over the last few weeks,” he said, “and I think a settlement is coming, I would hope shortly. I can't put out a time frame on it, but I hope perhaps this week.”
The Cross Lake Road was also discussed later, during the in camera portion of the meeting.
Policing woes – During his roads report, Royce Rosenblath commented on problems on County Road 30, where a group of people were parked on the side of the road for several days over Christmas, hindering road maintenance. He said that he contacted the County of Lennox and Addington, who lodged a complaint with the OPP.
“They told the county guy they would get to it when they could. I called the county in the first place becasue I knew there was no sense in me calling them, because they never answer,” said Rosenblath.
“They haven't been to council in a very long time,” said Reeve Hogg of the OPP, “maybe we should ask them to come to our next meeting.”
Council agreed.
Building Inspector Leaves – After a very short in camera meeting, Wayne Kivell, the township’s building inspector, left the council chamber and said he was no longer working for the township. He then left the building. No details were available on the circumstances of his departure or any of the events that led to it.
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Feature Article - January 17 2008 Central Frontenac Council gets schooled on Lake Trout by Jeff GreenA delegation of provincial government biologists and officials from three ministries gave a presentation to Central Frontenac Council on Monday night in support of the province's insistent proposal that Eagle Lake and Crow Lake be added to the township's list of “highly sensitive” trout lakes.
This would restrict new lot creation on those lakes to 300 metres (1000') from the shoreline, as is the case for the two other highly sensitive trout lakes in the township: Sharbot Lake (west basin) and Silver Lake.
Laurie Miller, from the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, began the presentation by telling council that, “of the 250,000 lakes in Ontario, only 1% contain lake trout, but this still represents 25% of lake trout lakes in the world, so Ontario has a role to play in preserving the species. Eastern and Central Ontario contain 1/3 of Ontario's lake trout lakes.”
Cam McCauley, a biologist from the Ministry of Natural Resources, talked in some detail about the science of lake trout.
“They need deep, well-oxygenated cold water lakes to survive,” he said, “and summer is a critical period for them because the water is at its warmest at that time. Once a lake trout population becomes critical, it can take 50 years, if you do the right things, to bring the species back. If you lose the habitat, you lose the lake trout. Once we lose lake trout, the reality is that not a lot of other species can fill in. Walleye are more of a warm water species, and they don't do well in lake trout lakes.
McCauley said that each trout lake contains its own genetic strain of the species, so the loss of a lake is significant to the genetic diversity of lake trout generally. They are also the species at the top of the food chain in a lake, and the health of the trout population is an indicator of the general health of the lake.
Lake trout lakes are rare in southern Ontario, and Frontenac County, with 21, can thank the Frontenac Spur (the southernmost extension) of the Canadian Shield for the trout fishery that county anglers enjoy.
Victor Castro, from the MOE, explained that the conditions of Crow and Eagle Lakes have not really changed over the past 25 years, but that the ministry has developed a new system, based on improved science, to measure the oxygen levels in lakes. The new benchmark that the government is using is 7 mg of oxygenation for every 1 litre of water. By that measure, Crow and Eagle Lake, which are at about 6 mg/litre, are under oxygenated.
Phosphorous that leaches into lakes eventually leads to a decrease in oxygen, and Castro said there are several sources of phosphorous in lakes, including; rain, surface runoff, sediments in the lake, upstream lakes, agricultural land uses, and shoreline development.
“Shoreline development is one factor that we can affect through policy,” Castro said.
For that reason, all four lake trout lakes in Central Frontenac are now deemed “at capacity” for development. The development of new lots will be restricted in the amended Central Frontenac Official Plan, but they will be permitted under certain conditions. This will not affect lots of record on those lakes, except when they are being redeveloped.
Alida Mitton, a planner with the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, said that conversions of cottages to year-round homes are not considered redevelopments by the ministry, but major changes such as a campground being turned into a different kind of resort, are.
In those cases, the developer will be required to show that the redevelopment will not lead to an increase in the nutrient load on the lake.
Central Frontenac councilors did not raise any questions about the policy direction in which the ministries are going, but they wondered why this information did not come to them before they initiated their Official Plan amendment in 2005.
Laurie Miller said that the information is quite recent, and in future, “As information becomes available from the MNR and the MOE, we will get it to you as soon as possible.”
“The Highly Sensitive” designation is not unique to Central Frontenac. In the current South Frontenac Official Plan, there are seven “highly sensitive” lakes designated, including: Bobs (Green Bay), Big Salmon, Potspoon, Loughborough (west basin) Buck (south and north basin), Knowlton and Garter. There are also seven trout lakes in the township: Big Clear, Birch, Canoe, Crow, Desert, Devil, and Gould, which have been classed as “moderately sensitive”. Of these the MOE has changed the designation on five.
North Frontenac has a long list of “highly sensitive” trout lakes, and only four: Brule, Round Schooner, Mazinaw, and Palmerston, that have been listed as moderately sensitive.
Waste Management Committee report -A trip to the dump could change in Central Frontenac, if the township’s waste management committee has its way.
A long-awaited report from the committee was received by Central Frontenac Council at their first meeting of 2008 in Mountain Grove on Monday night (January 14).
Council did not discuss the report at length, deferring that until the next meeting. The committee, which is chaired by Councilor John Purdon, and includes two other members of council, three members of the public, and two staff members, made 16 recommendations in their report.
They looked at everything from solid waste disposal, recycling, hazardous waste, e-waste, re-use possibilities and central composting, as well as education.
One change, which the report calls an “example initiative” is a “voluntary clear bag program”, which would see garbage dumped for free provided there are no materials in the bag that could be diverted in some way, either through recycling, composting, or other means. Under this scenario, only garbage contained in coloured bags would require a $1 bag tag.
The report also recommends that a hazardous waste recycling day and an e-waste recycling day be held this year, and that the township promote the creation of a materials re-use committee, which will have the mandate of setting up a re-use centre along the lines of an existing centre in Lanark Highlands.
Although council did not discuss the report as a whole this week, they approved two recommendations, which authorized township staff to set out requests for proposal for the purchase of new recycling bins, and new waste bins for the transfer station at Elbow Lake south of Parham.
Other items from Council: Municipal infrastructure grant – Chief Administrative Officer John Duchene informed council that at their next meeting he will be presenting a road safety construction project that includes 12 road projects, at a total cost of about $400,000, which the township can use as its submission to a municipal infrastructure program whose deadline is February 15.
Fire hall completion delayed – The projected completion date for the Mountain Grove fire hall is now May. The early onset of winter is cited as the main reason for the latest delay. CAO Duchene said the delay will not result in increased cost to the township.
December building permits drop – After a solid construction year, only four building permits, for $13,000 of construction, were issued in December. This compares to $448,000 in December ’06, and $322,000 in December ’05.
Over the year, permits were sold for $8.8 million in total construction, including 40 new residential units. In 2006, 33 residential units were started, and in 2005, 49.
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Feature Article - January 24, 2008 Railway Museum Committee Still on Trackby Gary Giller
Murry Middleton loads ties, rails, and artifacts for transport to new museum location.
The heart and soul of a community is nurtured by the strength of its historical roots.
Although the tracks have been torn up, the old track beds of the Kingston to Pembrooke, and the Toronto to Ottawa lines, remain as physical proof of the important role that the railway played in the economic and cultural development of Central Frontenac. In fact, these railway lines were the lifeblood of Sharbot Lake, having been in existence well before any major road connected the village to other communities. Preserving and celebrating our railway heritage is vital to the creation of a strong community.
As a result of some initial interest by certain key individuals, a not-for-profit organization was formed to publicly house the impressive collection of railway memorabilia, which former C.P.R. employee, Gary Cooke, has gathered over the years.
On January 22, 2001, the Central Frontenac Township Council endorsed, in principle, a resolution to support the development of plans for a railway museum at the original site of the Sharbot Lake station, which stood across from the present municipal office building.
Consequently, the Central Frontenac Railway Museum Committee was incorporated and a Board of Directors was formed. At another township council meeting in July of 2001, further council support was given to the venture, and a group of committed members began the task of making its goal a reality.
Although a museum building has yet to be built, a great amount of effort has gone into the project. As with many projects of this nature, it has been an uphill climb, with numerous challenges and frustrations. Some of the committee's key figures have "passed on the torch" and these people deserve our heart-felt appreciation for their significant contributions to the project.
Even with these challenges, the committee is continuing to make progress. Some of the issues involved have to do with the surveying and acquisition of the original railway station site, the design and function of the actual building, and the financing and long-term maintenance of the museum.
Since its formation, the committee has continued to operate as an incorporated body, with the Board of Directors having just held its annual general meeting on November 29, 2007.
It has erected an impressive sign crafted by Roger MacMunn to mark the site of the old station, and maintains an information kiosk near the site. If you haven't yet taken the time to look at the kiosk display, it is certainly worth perusing.
Since the building of an actual museum seems to require a rather lengthy timeline, the committee has arranged for the movement and safe storage of Gary Cooke's collection of memorabilia. Committee members have also been attending community functions with displays promoting our railway heritage.
In an effort to move forward, the committee is now in the process of developing the concept of a Living Museum by displaying items and information in various locations throughout Central Frontenac. You may have noticed some of the railway artifacts, which have already been relocated in local villages. Signage of these items is presently being undertaken.
As part of this initiative, with the approval of the township, the ground has been levelled and a gravel bed has been prepared at the former station site in Sharbot Lake. A length of track will be laid there, so that some of the larger items in the collection can be displayed. Special thanks to Hugh Gray and his son for the excavation. Thanks as well to Murray and Josh Middleton for moving the ties, rails and heavy artifacts from Gary Cooke's yard.
Work on this project will resume in the spring.
The committee is to be congratulated for its on-going work to preserve and celebrate the railway heritage of Central Frontenac. Its efforts can only strengthen the vitality of our community through fostering pride in our past, and helping to enhance future possibilities. Please consider supporting this worthwhile project by purchasing an annual membership to the organization ($5 /person or $10 /family). For further information, or to become involved, contact any of the following board members: Sally Angle (613-279-2777), Gary Cooke (613-279-2409), Ann Walsh (613-279-2908) or Lois Webster (613-375-6332).
