Champlain’s international search for a grader gŏđŏ editionap.ca
years, however because this grader is over 20 years old all of the other components are in very poor shape and will start to break down and we would expect that the rest of the grader would only survive another five years maximum,” he wrote in his report to council. As for a used grader, the municipality is looking for a 2008 model with less than 5,000 engine hours. The municipality could expect to get 15 years of use from the used machine. While Councillors Pierre Perreault and Helen MacLeod agreed that the town-
ship should repair the current grader, that resolution was defeated. Instead, members backed a motion by Councillors Gerry Miner and Normand Riopel to get a second-hand leveller. Rural imperative Barton reminded colleagues that the de- cision would increase the township’s debt load. “We keep adding equipment and our debt keeps climbing,”he said. The mayor re- iterated his disappointment with the town- ship’s purchase of a mechanical shovel last year. “Now we are backed into a corner; we have to replace the grader.” PLEASANT CORNER | The Township of Champlain ought to burn its garbage rather than impose “unintelligent” restric- tions on residents. That is one citizen’s take on the munici- pality’s new limit on the volume of trash it will collect. “I am just sick of hearing about unintel- ligent bylaws being inflicted on people ev- erywhere, which do nothing to improve life but just serve to make people angry,”writes L’Orignal resident Shirlee Mays in a March 22 letter to the municipality. The municipality ought to proceed with a proposal to build an incinerator in the area, she contends. “Why not take it a step fur- ther and have a furnace which not only de- stroys the garbage but has a process to use the power generated to supply electricity to the whole city?” Such a facility in Vienna works and “apparently their furnace/power station is even a tourist attraction!” Mayor Gary Barton did not appreciate RICHARD MAHONEY RICHARD.MAHONEY@EAP.ON.CA
Councillor Paul Emile Duval pointed out that road maintenance must be a priority in the rural wards of West Hawkesbury and Longueuil. “We have some of the better roads around,”he said, but to keep them that way, they must be graded. The need for a replacement has been un- derscored for the last three years. In 2011, 2012 and this year, the public works de- partment budgets showed the 1992 grader had to go. Each year, council decided to not replace the piece of equipment, McMahon wrote in his submission. the tone of the letter. Saying he would respond to the criticism, the mayor com- mented, “It is easy to call us idiots but there is a reason for our decision.” In an effort to reduce the volume of trash to be landfilled and to encourage recycling, the municipality has instructed its contractor to collect two bags, or a to- tal of 154 litres of waste, per week per res- idential unit. For every container above the two-bag limit, residents will have to affix a tag to that container. For 2013, each household will receive ten free tags, which are worth $2.50 each. The imposition of the limits is “like re- verting to an earlier century,”Mays writes, adding that the new system is “ridiculous” and “inadequate.” Exemptions The township has demonstrated that it does have a heart when it comes to im- plementing the curbs. At its last meeting, the township agreed to grant an exemp- tion to a woman who is undergoing dialy- sis, a process that generates large quanti- ties of waste.
RICHARD MAHONEY richard.mahoney@eap.on.ca
PLEASANT CORNER| The Township of Champlain is embarking on an inter- national search for a used road grader, while council members worry about the purchase’s impact on the municipality’s fragile financial situation. The municipality will be looking as far as British Columbia and Oregon for a machine that will replace a 1992 model, which has reached its life expectancy. Following a long debate at its last regu- lar meeting, council opted to buy a used grader, which would cost an estimated $170,000, and take out a five-year loan. This move will cost $192,486 when inter- est is calculated, according to figures pre- sented by James McMahon, superintend- ent of roads and public works. Members rejected two other routes – purchasing a new machine, at a total cost of $356,380, or fixing the existing grader, at a cost of at least $44,700. Noting that the municipality already faces other hefty expenditures, Mayor Gary Barton suggested a fourth option warranted consideration. “What if we do nothing?” That is not a viable alternative, Mc- Mahon advised. The $44,700 repair esti- mate was to repair the engine of the 1992 machine. “This would extend the engine life expectancy for up to an additional 10
Garbage limits trashed
Gary Barton
JOURNÉE PORTES OUVERTES Le dimanche 28 avril de 13h à 16h
Two Hawkesbury residents have been charged after police confiscated a quantity of illicit drugs during an April 11raid at a Gordon Street residence. Mario Bellefleur, 51, and Tammy Bellefleur, 34, have been charged with two counts of possession for the purpose of trafficking. Officers seized hashish andmarijuana inside the residence. The seizure was carried out by members of the Ontario Provincial Police Drug Enforcement Unit, Project Paradigm, the Hawkesbury Crime Unit, the O.P.P. Emergency Response Team (E.R.T.) and the Hawkesbury O.P.P. detachment. Both accused have been released on a promise to appear May 8 at the Ontario Court of Justice in L’Orignal. Two charged in drug raid
Résidence pour personnes retraitées, Lachute QC
Appartements 1 1/2, 2 1/2 , 3 1/2 , 4 1/2 . Maisonnées, studios avec services. Convalescences. À partir de 950$ par mois (services en sus)
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Friendly invasion this weekend
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vehicles are light vehicles that conform to the seasonal weight restrictions in place. During manoeuvres, reservists will prac- tise military reconnaissance operations in a realistic environment; conducting route reconnaissance and simulated escorts of humanitarian supply convoys. Troop movement will consist of small numbers of light military vehicles with three-man crews. Soldiers and vehicles will be carry- ing unloaded military issue small arms. No ammunition or other pyrotechnics will be carried or used at any time. All movement will occur during daylight hours and will be conducted to ensure that there is no disruption to local traffic. Canadian Forces train to be ready to support civilian au- thorities during any kind of crisis, includ- ing natural disasters.
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Once again, area rural roads will be con- verted into training grounds for army re- servists this weekend. About 50 members of the Montréal-based Royal Canadian Hussars (RCH) will conduct a training exercise, “Cavalry Leader,” in east- ern Ontario April 19 to 21. Training will be conducted in the Hawkesbury and Alexan- dria areas. A similar training weekend was held in the district last year. No movement is expected on highways and normally travelled provincial and local roads. Exercise activities will be confined to smaller less-used rural roads. All military
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