Infrastructure

A paved country roadway lined with trees. The road appears to be in rough shape with potholes and bumps.

Councillor says County Road 49 maintenance should be uploaded back to the Province

April 25, 2024 by Brenda Little

“Enough is enough. Premier Ford, take back County Road 49” were Councillor Braney’s final words as he concluded his resolution at a Prince Edward County council meeting Tuesday night.

The road was a provincial highway in the past but in 1998, the Province downloaded it to Prince Edward County. County Road 49 continues to be on the Canadian Automobile Association “worst roads in Ontario” list. Rehabilitation of the road comes with a hefty $30 million price tag, money the County does not have.

County Road 49 is an 18.6 km long concrete road which is a vital lifeline to the County with 6000 vehicles using it everyday including commuters and visitors. It is an essential emergency route to three hospitals and a busy heavy truck gateway to support agriculture, commercial businesses and industries including a cement plant and a shipping terminal in Lake Ontario.

Two women shake hands in a council chamber in front of a desk, a black curtain and four flags.

$21-million project paves way for more housing in Queens County

April 15, 2024 by Rick Conrad

The Nova Scotia government and the Region of Queens are teaming up on a $21.5-million project to extend and improve water and sewer services in the Liverpool area.

Queens MLA Kim Masland on Monday announced $10.7 million in provincial funding to expand water and wastewater service to the Mount Pleasant area. The municipality will pitch in $10.8 million. Masland is also Nova Scotia’s public works minister.

The project means that two new private housing developments will go ahead on more than 60 acres of land. About 325 new housing units will be built for up to 1,200 people. It will be a mix of sold and rented space. About a third of those units could be affordable housing.

Masland said a municipal housing needs assessment found that Queens County needs 555 more housing units by the end of 2027.

A paved road with gas stations and small business plazas on either side. The picture is taken at the top of a small hill.

Town of Brome Lake to complete sidewalk project with the help of provincial funding

April 10, 2024 by Taylor McClure

The Town of Brome Lake (TBL) is receiving $100,000 in financial aid through the Municipal Infrastructure Program for Seniors (PRIMA) that will go towards a sidewalk project in Knowlton.

The funding received through PRIMA will be used to add sidewalks starting from the IGA in Knowlton to Victoria Street, from Victoria Street to Centre Lac-Brome, and then from Centre Lac-Brome to Chemin du Centre, explained Cynthia Brunelle, director of Recreation, Tourism, Culture and Community Life.

The goal is to connect these sidewalks to the already existing ones in that area to provide more security to people who want to walk instead of taking their car, added Brunelle.

The TBL decided to submit this project to PRIMA because there are a lot of activities taking place for seniors at Centre Lac-Brome and it will provide them access to essential services by foot, noted Brunelle.

Two women sitting down next to each other in a radio studio. There is a red wall, a white wall behind them and a microphone in front of them.

Centre Action Bénévole Marguerite-Dubois prepares to meet growing demand for its food bank

February 16, 2024 by Taylor McClure

The Centre Action Bénévole Marguerite-Dubois (CAB Marguerite-Dubois) has received $45,173 in financial support from the provincial government through the Banques alimentaires du Quebec infrastructure program to expand and renovate its kitchen and storage area to help meet the demand for its food bank services.

According to Alexis Lapalme, coordinator for CAB Marguerite-Dubois, the goal behind the expansion and renovation project is to prepare for the increase in demand that is expected within the next year for the food bank because of the financial pressure that people are facing.

Lapalme said that with additional workspaces in the kitchen and extra storage space for food, more volunteers will be able to get involved and play their part in giving back to the community. She added that the CAB is aiming to increase its productivity by 25% within the next year as a result of the upgrades.

A group of people gathered for a press conference. The photo is taken from the back of the room showing the audience and a panel sitting at a desk in the front of the room.

Studies show strong water supply in Sutton

December 19, 2023 by Taylor McClure

The Town of Sutton has completed studies on its water supply and the results show that the municipality’s water table has six times more water than what is currently consumed.

The studies were announced last year as a part of Sutton’s action plan to protect its water supply following a report on water shortages in the mountain sector.

One study by hydrogeology company LNA found that the water table that supplies Sutton’s Academy well can provide up to three times more water per day than what is currently supplied. If a second well is built near Route 215, the water table can supply up to 5.5 times more water per day.

Mayor Robert Benoit said that he is “relieved” by the results, but there are important decisions to be made regarding infrastructure projects to bring water from the village to the mountain sector and regulations to preserve Sutton’s water supply.

A walking and cycling path covered in snow. There are snow covered trees on either side of the path.

Eastman announces new active transportation plan

December 8, 2023 by Taylor McClure

The Municipality of Eastman has created an active transportation plan with the goal of providing citizens with more opportunities to walk and cycle in the village.

The idea for the plan emerged two years ago during a public consultation for Eastman’s Family and Seniors Policy where citizens expressed their concern over the lack of proper infrastructures to safely walk or cycle to the village centre, according to Noémie Fortin- Brunet, coordinator of active transportation, tourism and heritage.

A committee was formed which put together an active transportation plan consisting of four core actions — making active transportation accessible and safe in the town centre year-round; connecting the various neighbourhood sectors to the village core; making provincial roads more cyclist and pedestrian friendly; and developing a culture of active living in Eastman.

CIDI spoke with Fortin-Brunet for more details on the active transportation plan.

Red sign over two narrow windows in a light brown wall reads "Thomas H. Raddall Library"

Region could build library for less in new location

December 6, 2023 by Ed Halverson

A new library could come in at a third the cost of previous designs if Region of Queens Council decides to build it in the Liverpool Business Development Centre.

Projections from staff indicate refurbishing the building to accommodate relocation of the Thomas H. Raddall library would cost in the neighbourhood of $1.15 million.

The municipality is under pressure to find a new home for the regional library as the lease at its current location in the Rossignol Centre is up at the end of 2024.

The Region of Queens has wrestled with where to build a new library since it decided to allocate approximately $3 million from an unexpected budget surplus to its construction in spring of 2022.

A group of government officials and support workers sitting in modern black office chairs around a circular-like and hollow conference table. A large flat screen monitor hangs on the far wall, showing a political meeting's web streamed proceedings.

PEC Council approves spot road repair program and street sweeper replacement

September 1, 2023 by Alexander Wright

On Tuesday, Prince Edward County Council authorized $603,893.15 (plus taxes) worth of road repairs along with the purchase of a $461,597.00 (plus taxes) replacement street sweeper.

The county’s road surface spot repair program budget was doubled to $622,000 during the 2023 operating budget process, and it will most likely be utilized as the county only received one bid submission (for a similar amount) during tender, from Kiley Paving Ltd.

County staff did not recommend issuing another tender for the work, even though there was a lack of competition. This was due to the limited number of large-scale paving contractors willing to work on smaller scale work such as road spot repair.

Council also awarded FST Canada Inc. over $460,000 for the provision of a replacement street sweeper after the original unit was involved in a collision in the spring of last year. Proceeds from its insurance policy covered about half the cost.