West Grey is requesting funding support from the province to address local infrastructure.
During the Rural Ontario Municipal Association (ROMA) Conference this week, Mayor Kevin Eccles and other municipal staff went down to Toronto to talk with various ministries about bridges and the dangers of frazil ice.
While speaking with the Ministry of Municipal Affairs, Eccles highlighted the municipality’s concerns surrounding the amount of bridges and the need for higher levels of funding to repair them.
“The other thing of course, trying to resolve the ongoing problem that has arisen because of the climate and they way it is, we have frazil ice in the Saugeen River,” says Eccles.
He proposed undergoing some infrastructure work to either the upper or middle dam to alleviate the pressures the ice is having on the river.
Earlier this month, the Saugeen Valley Conservation Authority issued a flood outlook statement for Durham, which is still in effect.
The statement says while there are no immediate concerns, extreme cold temperatures are forecasted and could result in the formation of frazil ice, which in turn could lead to flooding.
He says after hearing these issues from West Grey, Minister of Infrastructure Kinga Surma is aiming to find funding.
“Most of these bridges were built with 85 to 90 per cent provincial funding when they were built. I think it is time that she took that very seriously,” says Eccles.
Additionally, he says given the environmental concerns the frazil ice has on the Saugeen River, it would be better to find a permanent solution.
“I believe that there certainly is going to be a lot of inter-ministerial conversations on trying to find some funding to control the emergency problems of a provincial asset, the Saugeen River,” says Eccles.
After the conference, Eccles says he is feeling hopeful for support from the province.
