• Home
  • About
  • Council Minutes – Compiled
  • Parry Sound Area Reports and Resources

Parry Sounds

~ Ideas, Opinions and 'Green Shoots' In and Around Parry Sound

Parry Sounds

Monthly Archives: October 2013

Today’s Special – Item 1267

23 Wednesday Oct 2013

Posted by Jo Bossart/ParrySounds.com in Parry Sound, Safety, Train

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

safety, train

Actually item 1267 seems to the the special of the day, every day.

What’s 1267? It’s the United Nations Hazardous Materials Descriptions and Code for “Petroleum crude oil”. 

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

These photos were taken today, October 23rd, as I was walking past the Cascade Street dam. In total I estimate there were perhaps 40 or more tankers being pulled by a pair of CP engines.

How could I tell it was hazardous material 1267? You can read the numbers off the labels that are affixed to the sides of the tankers as they roll through town (the red squares turned 45 degrees). in this case I was too far away to read the numbers directly but the photographs reveal what I couldn’t see. It’s ‘fun’ to watch the various tanker cars roll by and take down the hazmat numbers and cross check them with the UN codes. It’s scarier than anything you’ll see this Hallowe’en.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

“Off the Rails”

21 Monday Oct 2013

Posted by Jo Bossart/ParrySounds.com in Reflections, Train

≈ Comments Off on “Off the Rails”

Tags

safety, train

It seems that CN is now experiencing its share of derailments with three reported in the last couple of weeks. What are we supposed to think and do in Parry Sound? These derailments certainly have not been of the same magnitude as Lac-Megantic in terms of property and lives lost, but they also have a less obvious cause. These accidents weren’t a one in a million event, they seem to be the collateral damage expected as part of normal rail operations. The type of operations that that we see in Parry Sound 24/7/52.

The derailments included tankers carrying crude oil, propane and anhydrous ammonia, resulting in significant evacuations. I have noted previously that these materials roll through Parry Sound (just check the hazardous codes on the side of the tankers if you want to check it yourself). Once again the local fire and rescue teams were not provided with the necessary information to ensure that the most appropriate safety measures were quickly implemented. And with the remote location of the derailments it took time for the railway crews to arrive and provide the necessary information.

In the case of the most recent Gainford Alberta derailment the decision has been made to just let the fire burn itself out. Not in my backyard? Well this is a case where you really don’t have much choice. The railways make the rules with the public and governments expected to comply.

Here are a couple of links to websites that focus on rail safety you might want to take a look at for a more ‘critical’ analysis of the situation. Of course http://cbc.ca offers its consistently good coverage as well.

Railroaded Blog
Rail and Reason

Still on Track (Parry Sound in Black & White)

ParrySights-v2-012

0.000000 0.000000

Council Meeting Notes – October 15, 2013

16 Wednesday Oct 2013

Posted by Jo Bossart/ParrySounds.com in Parry Sound, Town Council

≈ Comments Off on Council Meeting Notes – October 15, 2013

Tags

By-Law, Council Minutes, Fire Department, Parks, parry sound, Planning, Town Council, train

Last night’s meeting provided no real surprises. I thought that Council indirectly provided Staff with some direction in terms of how the town should handle it’s history as an industrial centre. The direction was to embrace the history of the town and not try to put a veneer of polish on it through a renaming process. This was evidenced by Council’s decision to reject the proposal to rename Smelter Wharf to Sunset Wharf (a good decision in my opinion), or solicit input on a renaming of Salt Dock Road. (A question for Staff and local residents – is it Smelter Wharf or Smelters Wharf? The sign down as the wharf reads Smelter Wharf, singular – not possessive, but the council agenda and at least one Councillor refer to it as Smelters Wharf.)

Beyond this there were no real surprises in Council’s discussion and decisions. The meeting was over by 9:05.

Questions of Staff and Councillors Report Notes

1. The sidewalk on Cascade Street at the CN crossing will need to be modified. This will delay the installation of the crossing gates until later this year. [I’m a bit surprised that this has only now been identified as an issue, this is a project that has been in the works for more than a year.]

2. There will be an advanced green light at the intersection of Bowes and Forest Street.

Correspondence and Deputations

4.3 – this item which relates to a letter to Council concerning an issue of excessive noise associated with the operation of the new Pioneer gas bar was followed up by a deputation at the meeting. Council directed By-law to look into the concern.

Resolutions and Directions to Staff

9.1.1 – Municipal Dog License Program (Direction); Council to direct Staff to prepare a new Animal Control By-law for Council’s consideration at the November 5, 2013 meeting. [CARRIED – with a reduction to $50 in the fine for failure to report a change in status of dog ownership (death, move, …).]

9.1.2 – Reallocating Feral Cat Funding (Direction); Council to direct staff to use the Feral Cat Program funding in the amount of $3500 to host a Spay/Neuter Day event in November 2013 in partnership with the Barrie OSPCA High Volume Spay/Neuter Clinic. [CARRIED – with positive support from Council]

9.2.1 – Mission Park Playground Equipment (Resolution); request that a ‘web climber’ playground structure be purchased from ABC Recreation at a cost of a little more than $32,000 plus HST. About two-thirds of the funds are coming from funds raised by the community. [CARRIED – some questions were asked regarding the durability and warranty of the equipment. Apparently Sudbury has three of these units and are quite pleased with them.]

9.4.1 – Renaming Smelter Wharf (Resolution); request that upon the recommendation of the Waterfront Advisory Committee, Council rename Smelter Wharf to Sunset Wharf. [DEFEATED – Council feels there is merit in celebrating, rather than ignoring, the Town’s past.]

9.4.2 – Renaming Salt Dock Road (Direction); request of Council that upon the recommendation of the Waterfront Advisory Committee, Council direct staff to seek public input on the name change of Salt Dock Road from residents on Salt Dock Road. [DEFEATED – see 9.4.1 for one of the considerations in Council’s decision. It was also noted that asking residents to change their address would be expensive and burdensome.]

9.4.3 – ‘Seattle’ and ‘Atlantic’ Anchors (Direction); another recommendation of the Waterfront Advisory Committee, in this case asking Council to direct Staff to work with Belvedere Heights regarding a plan to relocate the ‘Seattle’ and ‘Atlantic’ anchors to the Stockey Centre. [CARRIED – Council will be communicating with Belvedere Heights regarding responsibility for the costs of landscaping at Belvedere related to the relocation of the anchors.]

9.4.4 – Council Approved Sign Application (Resolution); request to authorize the Chief Building Official to issue a Sign Permit for a sign on the Bowes Street Road allowance in front of number 80. [CARRIED – no discussion.]

9.5.1 – Parry Sound Canoe Club, (Direction); request that Council direct Staff to prepare a lease agreement between the Town and the Parry Sound Canoe Club for the use of property adjacent to the William Street Park. [CARRIED – with recommendation that it be located at the east end of Yvonne Williams Park. It was noted by one councillor that the Town had sold premium lots adjacent to William Street Park whose use and value would be compromised by a canoe club building. The original William Street Park site also presented issues with existing infrastructure.]

9.5.2 – Wakefield & Dufferin Reconstruction Funding (Direction); request that Council identify the rehabilitation of Wakefield Street and Dufferin Street as the highest priority item for the Small, Rural and Northern Municipal Infrastructure Fund – Capital Program. [CARRIED.]

9.6.1 – Airport – Found Aircraft Debt Deferral, (Resolution); request that Council approves the deferral of the long term debt principal and interest payments related to the Found Aircraft Canada leases at the Parry Sound Area Municipal Airport Commission. [CARRIED]

By-Laws

10.1.1 – EMS Contract Renewal (By-law) to authorize the execution of an agreement between the West Parry Sound Health Centre and the Town of Parry Sound for the provision of Emergency Medical Services for three years (2014-2016). [CARRIED.]

10.1.2 – Emergency Plan Identified Positions (By-law) naming David Thompson, Peter Brown and Jesse Langford as the Town’s emergency contact personnel. Also a By-law to amend By-law 2004-4669, a By-law to adopt a Emergency Management Program, and to repeal By-law 2011 – 6006. [CARRIED.]

10.2.1 – Closed Meeting Investigator Fee Increase, (By-law) appointing Local Authority Services Ltd. as Parry Sound’s Closed Meeting Investigator and to repeal By-law 2007-5127. [CARRIED.]

10.4.1 – Fleck Street Service Manager Housing Facility Agreement, (By-law) to authorize the execution of a Service Manager Housing Facility Agreement between the District of Parry Sound Social Services Administration Board, 905888 Ontario Inc. and the Town of Parry Sound. [CARRIED.]

10.4.2 – Fleck Street Purchase and Sale Agreement, (By-law) to authorize the execution of an Agreement of Purchase and Sale between 905888 Ontario Inc. and the Town of Parry Sound. [CARRIED.]

10.6.1 – Parry Sound Area Airport Commission Representation, (By-law) to amend the Airport Commission Agreement with the Township of Seguin. [CARRIED.]

These notes review only those portions of the council meeting that I see as having greater importance or general community interest. See my agenda preview posts for additional comments.

The official minutes from council meetings are available at the Town of Parry Sound website, no later than the Friday following the meeting. The full council proceeding are available on video through Cogeco. Schedule details are available from the town office (705-746-2101).

Delivering the Goods (Parry Sound in Black & White)

20130426-IMG_0292

Council Agenda Preview – October 15, 2013

13 Sunday Oct 2013

Posted by Jo Bossart/ParrySounds.com in Parry Sound, Town Council

≈ Comments Off on Council Agenda Preview – October 15, 2013

Tags

Agenda, By-Law, Parks, parry sound, Town Council, Youth

This week it’s a 232-page meeting package. I wonder how Council likes reading this stuff on their iPads. I find it tough enough to review on a 27 inch (1920×1200) monitor. There is nothing particularly critical on the agenda. In some cases it seems Staff is suggesting Council agree to adding a fresh coat of paint rather than address the underlying issues. The locals will recognize the charade but probably not the tourists.

Once again this review is focused only on the actual business of Council rather than the letters and deputations. My comments are provided in italics. Check out the full package online for information on what isn’t included.

Correspondence and Deputations

4.3 – this is the one piece of correspondence I will point out. It concerns an issue of excessive noise associated with the operation of the new Pioneer gas bar. Apparently neighbours are unhappy with the excessive noise related to the air conditioning units. They have spoken to Town Staff with little success, in their opinion, and have now brought it to Council. Unlike train noise this is an area where Council has authority. I’ll be watching to see how this turns out.

Resolutions and Directions to Staff

9.1.1 – Municipal Dog License Program (Direction); Council to direct Staff to prepare a new Animal Control By-law for Council’s consideration at the November 5, 2013 meeting. (This item is accompanied by a rather long supporting document that explains the reasons for the proposed changes to the management and administration of dog licenses, with the aim of reducing Staff time and improving service. On balance it seems reasonable and well thought out.)

9.1.2 – Reallocating Feral Cat Funding (Direction); Council to direct staff to use the Feral Cat Program funding in the amount of $3500 to host a Spay/Neuter Day event in November 2013 in partnership with the Barrie OSPCA High Volume Spay/Neuter Clinic. (This program intends to use the current feral cat spay program funds to host a Spay/Neuter Clinic Day offering spay and neutering services at a cost to residents of $60 per animal. The By-law staff will assist residents to attend the Clinic Day with their animals by providing transportation as necessary.)

9.2.1 – Mission Park Playground Equipment (Resolution); request that a ‘web climber’ playground structure be purchased from ABC Recreation at a cost of a little more than $32,000 plus HST. About two-thirds of the funds are coming from funds raised by the community. (From the photo included in the council package it seems to be quite pricey; essentially a series of supported cables. Hopefully the unit planned for Mission Park is more elaborate and larger. Unfortunately there was no RFP or quote information included with the council package to provide more detail on the unit and what other options/suppliers were considered.)

9.4.1 – Renaming Smelter Wharf (Resolution); request that upon the recommendation of the Waterfront Advisory Committee, Council rename Smelter Wharf to Sunset Wharf. (Would a rose by any other name smell as sweet? I would be happier with the change if the committee had proposed a name that captured a little more of the history of Parry Sound. The name Smelter Wharf tells a story. Sunset Wharf is a functional name but very generic.)

9.4.2 – Renaming Salt Dock Road (Direction); request of Council that upon the recommendation of the Waterfront Advisory Committee, Council direct staff to seek public input on the name change of Salt Dock Road from residents on Salt Dock Road. (Another apparent attempt to enhance the image of the Town by changing names. Perhaps my concerns about the impact of trains in town can be solved by calling them ‘Puppies’ instead of trains. Who doesn’t love puppies? Sure they make a mess every so often, but puppies are so cute, who would think to criticize them?)

9.4.3 – ‘Seattle’ and ‘Atlantic’ Anchors (Direction); another recommendation of the Waterfront Advisory Committee, in this case asking Council to direct Staff to work with Belvedere Heights regarding a plan to relocate the ‘Seattle’ and ‘Atlantic’ anchors to the Stockey Centre. (Seems like a great location to provide significant ‘visibility’ for these artifacts.)

9.4.4 – Council Approved Sign Application (Resolution); request to authorize the Chief Building Official to issue a Sign Permit for a sign on the Bowes Street Road allowance in front of number 80. (This is for the Fincham’s business. Oh boy, more signs along the main road into town. How about we change the name of Bowes Street to Paradise Trail? It doesn’t change the view but it sounds more inviting.)

9.5.1 – Parry Sound Canoe Club, (Direction); request that Council direct Staff to prepare a lease agreement between the Town and the Parry Sound Canoe Club for the use of property adjacent to the William Street Park. (Seems like a good idea to me. I hope the publc will be able to make use of the docks at those times when the club is not actively using them. It will provide an opportunity for the public to have better access to this stretch of the Seguin River.)

9.5.2 – Wakefield & Dufferin Reconstruction Funding (Direction); request that Council identify the rehabilitation of Wakefield Street and Dufferin Street as the highest priority item for the Small, Rural and Northern Municipal Infrastructure Fund – Capital Program. (This project has seemingly been on the top of the Director of Public Works priority list for some time now. Let’s hope the Town can get the necessary funding.)

9.6.1 – Airport – Found Aircraft Debt Deferral, (Resolution); request that Council approves the deferral of the long term debt principal and interest payments related to the Found Aircraft Canada leases at the Parry Sound Area Municipal Airport Commission. (Well at least they didn’t leave town in the middle of the night and stick it to staff and creditors.)

By-Laws

10.1.1 – EMS Contract Renewal (By-law) to authorize the execution of an agreement between the West Parry Sound Health Centre and the Town of Parry Sound for the provision of Emergency Medical Services for three years (2014-2016).

10.1.2 – Emergency Plan Identified Positions (By-law) naming David Thompson, Peter Brown and Jesse Langford as the Town’s emergency contact personnel. Also a By-law to amend By-law 2004-4669, a By-law to adopt a Emergency Management Program, and to repeal By-law 2011 – 6006. (The Town’s Emergency Management Program is a secret document, so I can’t say more.)

10.2.1 – Closed Meeting Investigator Fee Increase, (By-law) appointing Local Authority Services Ltd. as Parry Sound’s Closed Meeting Investigator and to repeal By-law 2007-5127. (This is interesting. Apparently Parry Sound and many other municipalities contract with outside services to investigate concerns from the public that Council might be discussing business at closed sessions. So, if you think Council is doing ‘business’ in the closed sessions you now know there is a process through which you can get answers.)

10.4.1 – Fleck Street Service Manager Housing Facility Agreement, (By-law) to authorize the execution of a Service Manager Housing Facility Agreement between the District of Parry Sound Social Services Administration Board, 905888 Ontario Inc. and the Town of Parry Sound. (This is related to the ‘gifting’ of property on Fleck Street for the development of affordable housing.)

10.4.2 – Fleck Street Purchase and Sale Agreement, (By-law) to authorize the execution of an Agreement of Purchase and Sale between 905888 Ontario Inc. and the Town of Parry Sound. (More Fleck Street affordable housing business.)

10.6.1 – Parry Sound Area Airport Commission Representation, (By-law) to amend the Airport Commission Agreement with the Township of Seguin. (This changes the representatives on the commission to 3 from Town of Parry Sound and 4 from Township of Seguin. I don’t know what they were previously, I’ll ask on Tuesday.)

That’s pretty much it. See you Tuesday.

Welcome to Sunset Wharf (Parry Sound in Black & White)

ParrySights-1252

Note: Not all agenda items are covered here. I typically skip those items that have little material impact on the town. These items include simple requests for Tag Days (permission to canvas), Awareness Weeks/Months, road closures for civic events, and the like. Want to see everything that is on the agenda? The full agenda can be found at the town’s website (http://townofparrysound.com/pagesmith/14).

Parry Sound Hydro Corp. – AGM Notes

03 Thursday Oct 2013

Posted by Jo Bossart/ParrySounds.com in Parry Sound

≈ Comments Off on Parry Sound Hydro Corp. – AGM Notes

Tags

PS Power

Last night’s Parry Sound Hydro Hydro Corporation annual general meeting provided few surprises. The meeting provided a bit of an update on the merger discussions with Lakeland Power as well as the audited financials for 2012.

Concerning the merger – the discussions are still ongoing. No timeline was offered for completion of the deal but my sense is that the deal will get done. The Board seems confident that it will capture fair value for Parry Sound that will provide an important source of revenue going forward. The merger option is being explored because the Town does not have the financial means to underwrite generation capacity expansion at the Cascade/River Street facility. I estimate the expansion project will cost on the order of $15 million, plus or minus a few million. Parry Sound already has too much money tied up in debentures related to road, water and sewage infrastructure upgrades.

The dollar and cents of Parry Sound Hydro Corporation in 2013 pretty much matched up with the results for 2011. Total revenue rose to $3.6 million. Net income dropped to $7,353, largely I suspect as a result of the expansion project planning costs. It was mentioned that these expenses were about $700,000 over the past two years, and have totalled about $2 million to date.

Some figures from the meeting:
1. There are 2,800 residential customers.
2. There are 3,400 smart meters and 500 general service meters.
3. There were 30 planned, and 8 unplanned outages in 2012.
4. The power plant generated about 5.7 million KWH in 2012, revenues reached a new high of $417,000.

That pretty much wraps up the meeting. You were missed, there were lots of empty seats. The auditor’s report is available upon request.

Money Does Flow Like Water (Parry Sound in Black & White)

ParrySights-0067

Council Meeting Notes – October 1, 2013

02 Wednesday Oct 2013

Posted by Jo Bossart/ParrySounds.com in Parry Sound, Town Council, Train

≈ Comments Off on Council Meeting Notes – October 1, 2013

Tags

parry sound, Planning, Town Council

It was a quickie meeting, over by 7:45. All items on the agenda were carried. A couple of points worth noting:

1) Mayor McGarvey has been appointed to the Railway Safety Committee of AMO (Association of Municipalities of Ontario). The committee has been tasked with providing recommendations to improve rail safety in Ontario communities.

2) Parry Sound has agreed to donate $1,000 to the flood relief fund for the Bancroft area.

Correspondence and Deputations

A deputation regarding the relocation of the anchors from the Atlantic and the Seattle was well received and a report and recommendation is expected to be on the agenda for the next meeting of Council.

Resolutions and Directions to Staff

9.2.1 – a proposal to consolidate Council’s Strategic Plan with the Departmental Business Plans (Strategic & Business Planning Guidelines). [CARRIED]

9.5.1 – a proposal to accept the tender from Fowler Construction in the amount of $13.81 per tonne, plus HST, for the supply, delivery, blending and stacking of 300 tonnes of winter sand. [CARRIED]

9.5.2 – a proposal to accept a series of tenders for the plowing of Town property parking lots. The contracts are for a period of two years and have been split among multiple suppliers. [CARRIED]

By-Laws

10.4.1 – adoption of the Town’s new Official Plan. [CARRIED]

These notes review only those portions of the council meeting that I see as having greater importance or general community interest.

The official minutes from council meetings are available at the Town of Parry Sound website, no later than the Friday following the meeting. The full council proceeding are available on video through Cogeco. Schedule details are available from the town office (705-746-2101).

We’ve Got It (Parry Sound in Black & White)

20130930-DSC_6518

0.000000 0.000000

ParrySounds.com Feed

RSS Feed RSS - Posts

Categories

  • Amalgamation
  • Boating/Recreation
  • Budget/Financial
  • Correction/Clarification
  • Economics
  • Events/Activities
  • Green Shoots
  • Parry Sound
  • Reflections
  • Safety
  • Seguin Township
  • Sights
  • Sounds
  • Suggestions
  • Town Council
  • Train
  • Urban Development
  • Video
  • Weather

Archives

  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • June 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • March 2013
  • February 2013
  • January 2013
  • December 2012
  • November 2012
  • October 2012
  • September 2012
  • August 2012
  • July 2012
  • June 2012
  • May 2012
  • April 2012
  • March 2012
  • February 2012
  • January 2012
  • December 2011
  • November 2011
  • October 2011

Attractions/Events

  • The Stockey Centre
  • Town of Parry Sound

Government

  • Town of Parry Sound

News

  • Parry Sound Weather
  • Moose FM CKLP 103.3 – Parry Sound
  • North Star / Beacon Star

Tourism

  • Explorers Edge

Follow me on Twitter

My Tweets

Blog at WordPress.com.

Cancel

 
Loading Comments...
Comment
    ×