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$4 million garage plan RICHARD MAHONEY RICHARD.MAHONEY@EAP.ON.CA
Seasonal adjustments
it was of adequate size to house all theWest Hawkesbury equipment. However, after the amalgamation of the former townships, this four-bay garage is now of insufficient size to properly accommodate our fleet and certain elements do not meet the minimum building code requirements.” A feasibility study by PBK Architects Inc. found that in order to operate effectively, the building requires another four mainte- nance bays and additional support spaces. The firm concludes that renovating the structure “will produce a final asset that is only partially constructed of new materi- als meeting the latest standards and code requirements.” The architects recommend that a new maintenance garage be con- structed, and the existing garage be main- tained as a space for the temporary storage of vehicles and equipment. McMahon writes, “It is important that council understands that this is the main garage that is located in the centre of the Township and all the work is generated out of this facility whereas the other municipal garages are used mostly for storage of vehi- cles for winter maintenance operations. The purpose of conducting this study was to determine if the West Hawkesbury munici- pal garage is at the end of its expected life span, and to determine possible solutions to ensure that we can accommodate our future needs and operate the Public Works Department in the most efficient and cost effective way possible.”
PLEASANT CORNER | Champlain Township ought to begin plans for a new municipal garage, that could cost as much as $4 mil- lion, in order to keep pace with growing needs. The suggestion comes from Public Works Superintendent James McMahon who has related that the garage on Pleasant Cor- ner Road in West Hawkesbury must be re- placed. According to a feasibility study, the price tag could be anywhere between $3.6 mil- lion and $4. 3 million. “I understand that it is not financially pos- sible to fund these large projects through tax dollars alone and as we are all aware, in order to receive any type of provincial funding it is a requirement to have “pro- ject ready” plans and designs. This is why I am trying to look at the future needs of the township and start preparing this type of project,” McMahon writes in a memo to council. “As our Township grows, our services also expand and the demand for such ser- vices increases causing our Public Works Department to expand to meet the needs of the ratepayers in Champlain Township. It is time to think about expanding our municipal garage at 1023 Pleasant Corner Road in order to accommodate our grow- ing fleet of trucks and equipment. When the existing structure was built in the ‘70s
The sun is hanging around longer, birds have been chirping their spring song, the days are getting longer, and gravel and grass are beginning to appear beside roads. Based on that sophisticated weath- er forecaster, the groundhog, we have about another good month of winter to enjoy, or endure. The promise of spring is reason to cel- ebrate for the multitudes who despise the cold conditions. However, there are many who actually relish winter. For a large percentage of the popula- tion, prolonged periods of dark and drea- ry days can seriously affect their mental health, and make them become very sad. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) affects 12 million people in North America. SAD victims can become dangerously depressed during the winter. Old Man Winter can be a real downer for those who are down in the dumps from October and May. And, of course, there is much to hate about the longest season. This has been, so far, a conventional win- ter. We have had our mix of heavy snows, bone-chilling nights and rapid shifts in temperatures. One day you are thawing frozen pipes and replacing a dead car bat- tery, as the thermometer plunges to mi- nus 30. The next day you ensure the sump pump is plugged in, as a January thaw cre- ates rivers in your yard. We expend so much time and energy dealing with, preparing for and fretting about the many obstacles Mother Nature throws at us. By this time of year, Old Man Winter is beginning to wear out his welcome. However, as they say, there is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing. You can withstand the fiercest of “weather events” if are properly girded against the elements. Just as a warm head and dry socks can guide us through a blizzard, the proper at- titude can enable us to benefit from the final few weeks of winter. There is so much to do in our great out- doors. How about camping in a yurt? OK, that is extreme if your idea of rough- ing it is staying in a hotel that has no room service, or – gasp! – no wireless service. Yet there are many relatively easy, low- impact pursuits that can be pursued. Just ask the thousands of skaters, skiers, snowmobilers, snowboarders and snow- shoers who long for long winters. To fully celebrate winter, of course, one must participate in the wide variety of car- nivals that are organized throughout the district. Some of the hardier among us manage to cycle on wintry days. Winter is the best time of the year to study the habitat and habits of the variety of wildlife we have around us. This is an opportune period to venture into isolated areas, which during the rest of the year are thick with bugs and vegetation. When the snow conditions are right, the forest floor can reveal the movements of a hare, and their snowshoe-like paws, deer, raccoons, and coyotes. Anyway, the seasonal adjust-
ments are inescapable. Just as you are preparing for another late winter bout of snow and freezing rain, ads for lawnmow- ers and summer camps begin appearing. Extracurriculars a right? The current Ontario education strife may go a long way in defining several issues, such as the right to collective bargaining in the public sector and the role of extra- curricular activities in the overall learning experience. The Upper Canada District School Board, which runs English-language public schools in our area, recently took the un- precedented action of filing a complaint with the Ontario Labour Relations Board against the Elementary Teachers Federa- tion of Ontario. One of the underlying points is that stu- dents have a right to have access to extra- curricular activities. The UCDSB and Trillium Lakelands Dis- trict Board of Education have contended that the union’s direction to withdraw from voluntary activities constitutes an il- legal strike. The boards have argued that the union has told its members to break the law. “While there have been many broader legal issues presented, such as whether the collective agreements continue to ex- ist with the repeal of Bill 115, this case is strictly about the union communications that direct members to participate in an il- legal strike,” the UCDSB said in a statement recently. “The case is not about whether the union’s communication was effec- tive. It is not about whether teachers fol- lowed the union’s directive. It is not about whether the teachers are participating in voluntary activities. Chair (Bernard )Fish- bein’s decision will apply to the applicant boards and will have significant impact on other boards throughout the province.” UCDSB Chair Greg Pietersma, who has criticized the government’s handling of the labour strife, sounded the alarm months ago about the eroding authority of local school board trustees. The imposition of contracts further un- derscores the loss of power at the local level. The debate over extracurricular ac- tivities has raised questions about what exactly is considered to be “the normal operation of school board.” Pietersma commented in a recent blog: “We are determined to exercise, protect and enhance local autonomy. That in- cludes ensuring that actions taken that disrupt the normal operation of the school board, withstand legal tests. We are com- mitted to local bargaining. We concur with the unions that the government’s involve- ment in our collective bargaining process has sabotaged it. Our students need for us to have the opportunity to continue to modernize the contracts through local bargaining.” The basic grievance in the submission to the labour board is that “the union acted in a concerted fashion to disrupt the nor- mal operation of the school board.” At this writing, labour peace on the school front still appeared to be an elusive goal. As Pietersma observes: ”We need to find another way.“
VCI hosts anti-bullying talks
newsroom@eap.on.ca VANKLEEK HILL | What can you do about bullying?
The hot topic will be addressed at Vankleek Hill Collegiate Institute February 26 when students and parents will learn how to eradicate bullying from our schools, homes, work- places and communities. Bullying expert, author and motivational speaker Jim Jordan will speak to students dur- ing the day. The public is invited to a 90-hour presentation at 7 p.m. at the high school, 5814 Highway 34. For information, call 613-678-2023. Jim Jordan is described as a “dynamic speaker who offers an educational and action packed program that should be seen and heard by everyone.” A past victim, he wanted to express himself by creating a message that would help kids make a difference. He is currently the president of ReportBullying.com, which supports many anti-bullying strat- egies, and where the wider emphasis is on behavioural solutions, solutions that change behaviour for the better in schools, homes, workplaces and communities as a whole. The organization has a desire to be proactive and work towards bringing a safer environment.
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Bertrand Castonguay , President, bertrand@eap.on.ca Roger Duplantie , D.G. / G.M., roger@eap.on.ca François Bélair , Sales & Development, fbelair@eap.on.ca François Legault , Directeur de l’information/News Editor, francois.legault@eap.on.ca Yvan Joly , Sales director (Hawkesbury), yvan@eap.on.ca François Leblanc , Directeur (Lachute), francois.leblanc@eap.on.ca Gilles Normand , Production & Distribution Mgr., gilles.normand@eap.on.ca Julien Boisvenue , Layout & Prepress Mgr., julien.boisvenue@eap.on.ca
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