" $ 5 6 " - * 5 4 r / & 8 4 MAYOR WANTS DEAL ON PR TRAIL
LA RUE NOTRE-DAME, UNE PRIORITÉ
Le maire Guy Desjardins a confirmé que la rue figure sur la liste des projets prioritaires pour les prochaines années. —photo Gregg Chamberlain
GREGG CHAMBERLAIN gregg.chamberlain@eap.on.ca
The section of the Prescott-Russell Trail that runs between the villages of Bourget and Hammond is one of the best-kept and most travelled parts of the popular recreational trail. Mayor Guy Desjardins would like to make a deal with VIA Rail for complete ownership of the local trail route. —photo Gregg Chamberlain
quatre dernières décennies. La pétition énumérait parmi les problèmes de la rue /PUSF%BNF MFTHSBWFTOJETEFQPVMFFU les planches à laver qui se multiplient à maints endroits. Le maire a obtenu la confirmation du personnel des travaux publics que la rue /PUSF%BNFFTUTVSMBMJTUFEFTQSJPSJUÊT municipales pour les futurs travaux de pa- vage et autres améliorations. Le personnel des travaux publics a noté qu’une enquête télévisée en circuit fermé (CCTV) sur l’état sous-terrain de la rue est nécessaire avant de faire des plans d’amélioration détaillés. Actuellement, la rue fait partie de la liste suggérée de projets pour 2022. Le maire a demandé à l’administration municipale d’informer les résidents de l’état d’avan- cement des plans qui touchent leur rue.
Le maire Guy Desjardins a promis aux propriétaires de la rue Notre-Dame, à Rockland, que leur quartier figurait sur la liste des priorités de la ville au chapitre du pavage. «Ce sera un projet d’envergure, a déclaré le maire Desjardins lors de la séance du comité plénier du conseil du 21 septembre. Il ne faut pas juste repaver. Il faut changer un grand nombre de tuyaux souterrains, entre autres.» Le conseil a reçu une pétition de 23 signatures lors de sa séance du 21 sep- tembre. La pétition a accusé la ville de négliger sa responsabilité de maintenir la SVF/PUSF%BNFFOCPOÊUBUBVDPVSTEFT
GREGG CHAMBERLAIN gregg.chamberlain@eap.on.ca
.BZPS/PSNBOE3JPQFMJOEJDBUFEUIFZXPVME like the sections of the trail in their muni- cipalities continue serving local recreation and tourism needs.. Desjardins has asked Stéphane Parisien, UCPR chief administra- tor, to help arrange a meeting between VIA Rail and the two mayors of Clarence and Champlain Township to begin discussions for separate deals on the PR Trail. “I want to try and organize a meeting before the 90 days are finished,” Desjardins said, adding that he would like VIA Rail to turn over complete ownership of the Clarence- Rockland section of the trail to city for a nominal sum of one dollar. “It is one of the sections that is very well- used in the summertime,” Desjardins said, adding that the local section of the trail has great local recreational and tourism value. “Between Bourget and Hammond, there’s a lot of people who use that trail.” Desjardins agreed that the UCPR report indicated the entire PR Trail could require several millions of dollars worth of mainte- nance improvements over the next 10 years. But he noted that the Clarence-Rockland section has fewer culverts compared to other sections and might need just $20,000 to $30,000 worth of annual maintenance work. The mayor also suggested that the City could look at creating a loop trail with its sec- tion by developing a link extension through Clarence Creek that would include the ferry landing site on Fox Island. This would help develop the trail’s tourism value by open it up to Québec cyclists.
The mayor of Clarence-Rockland would like to make a deal with VIA Rail for complete ownership of the local section of the Prescott-Russell Trail. “Yes, I would,” said Mayor Desjardins, during a phone interview September 27, adding he has the support of his city council for the plan. “They’re all in favour of negotiating.” The United Counties of Prescott-Russell (UCPR) owns and manages the Prescott- Russell Recreational Trail (PR Trail) through a lease agreement with VIA Rail for use of a former railway bed as the route for the 72-kilometre-long trail. UCPR council, in a recorded vote September 23, decided against a two-year extension of the lease agreement, after several mayors on counties council expressed concerns about future maintenance costs for the recreational trail. This means that at the end of 90 days the PR Trail route becomes VIA Rail’s sole property again, if neither side makes a move to reopen talks about the lease arrange- ment. Desjardins described UCPR council’s decision as a mistake, saying a two-year extension of the lease would have given the UCPR time to negotiate a future better deal with VIA Rail “There are consequences for everybody,” he said, regarding the council majority deci- sion. “They chose to slam the door closed.” Both Desjardins and Champlain Township
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