Tag Archives: safety

Mean Streets of Parry Sound

28 Thursday Sep 2017

Posted by in Parry Sound, Reflections

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“If you touch me I’ll punch you in the face” she screamed at me a half dozen times with her hand curled into a fist and cocked behind her right ear. Little did she realize that touching her was about the last thing I would want to do, for reasons beyond the prospect of being punched.

This went down Wednesday afternoon on the sidewalk on Bowes Street across from the construction going on at the corner of Louisa Street. I was walking on the sidewalk towards the downtown when this e-bike sped up the sidewalk assuming ownership of the right of way. I guess the person operating the e-bike assumed that if they were going fast enough I would jump out of the way. I didn’t, and that created the situation.

Forced to stop at the last moment, or hit me, the e-bike operator was pissed. It didn’t help that the first words out of my mouth was to tell them e-bikes should not be riding on the sidewalk.

What was surprising was who was operating this little red e-bike. It wasn’t some young person with an attitude. It was a woman who seemed to be about 50 years of age, no more than 5’2”, and 100 pounds of anger. And she was threatening to punch me out for making her stop. Actually she was threatening to punch me out if I touched her.

We all do things that ‘break the rules’ in one way or another. We have a choice as to how we respond when confronted with our transgression. Threatening someone with physical violence probably isn’t at the top of the list of suggested responses. It would have been simple enough for the person to explain why they were speeding up the sidewalk, or simply apologize, or simply accept the very short lecture and move on.

Neither of us probably learned a lesson with this confrontation. I’m sure she will continue to ride sidewalks fast enough to scare people out of her way. And I’m sure I’ll continue to not step out of the way and confront these folks. I’m able to move quickly, but there are others who might well get knocked over, and not bounce back up.

And in a short flashback to Hill Street Blues – “Let’s be careful out there”.

Trestle Logic

15 Thursday Jun 2017

Posted by in Parry Sound, Safety, Suggestions, Train

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When entering a parking structure in the Big Smoke have you noticed how there is generally a bar of some sort hanging from a couple of chains that you are required to drive under? There is also a sign that advises you the maximum vehicle height that can safely park in the structure. But, because people don’t like to read signs, or they don’t have a good sense of heights and numbers, the hanging bar acts as a check. If there is a bump as you pass under the bar you know that you have bigger problems ahead. Time to back up and park somewhere else.

So what do you think would happen if a parking garage posted the correct maximum height sign but set the bar a foot higher? Do you think people would look at the sign and think that the bar is set too high? Or would they simply ignore the sign and see if they fit under? If they are driving a vehicle that is a bit higher, perhaps a pickup truck with a camper unit on the back, they would probably inch forward cautiously, and once they passed under the hanging bar, assume they are okay and drive into the garage. Surprise!

This is basically the situation on William Street in Parry Sound and the CN trestle where there have been three ‘decapitations’ complete and partial in the past year. As you approach the trestle there is a frame structure about 15 feet in front of either side of the trestle. The sign on the trestle says that the maximum height is 10’6”. That seems like enough information to warn the truck driver with an 11’ height to take another route. What would you think if I told you that the clearance of the trestle, where the trucks hit the trestle, is greater than 11’, offering drivers a considerable margin of error. But perhaps 10’6” is actually more reasonable. As you look at the photo below you realize that there is a drop down as the truck travels under the trestle but the box of the truck would still be at the higher road level. That would lead to an angle which might actually make it an effective 10’6”, even if it’s actually three-quarters of a foot higher directly under the trestle.

The problem is not just professional drivers not knowing the height of their rig, or not paying attention, it’s also the support frame about 15 feet in front of the trestle. This structure has a clearance of 13’. I can well imagine that a truck driver might cautiously approach this 13’ frame and, discovering that they are able to get under it, assume they can fit under the trestle. It’s a bit of an optical illusion the way the road dips down, suggesting there is more clearance than there is.

The answer it seems is pretty simple. Suspend a bar on chains under the two support frames at 10’6”, much as you see in parking garages. A truck would pretty quickly figure out that they weren’t going to fit if they heard a thump well before they ventured forward and tore the top off their trailer.

We have had three such incidents just this year. You would think that CN would have figured it out by now that something needs to be done.

Has the Town received a formal report from CN attesting to the integrity of the trestle? Three dings in the past year and many more over the past few decades could mean there is unrecognized structural damage. But, it seems the railways always find it cheaper to apologize and make repairs after the fact than practice prevention.

 

Trains, Trains, Trains

11 Sunday Dec 2016

Posted by in Parry Sound, Train

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I have been rather quiet for the past few months on the issue of trains and how they impact Parry Sound. I don’t expect that will change for the foreseeable future. The railways are what they are, and they do whatever they want. I’m not ready to get over it, but I currently don’t have much to offer.

But, good news for those of you who do follow trains and are interested in their impact on local communities, Trainjane is back again at railandreason.com. This is a blog site that offers considerable information and insight on issues concerning the railways in Canada. They have been away for the last two years but have just announced their return. I highly recommend the site as a source of national information regarding rail activity.

In one of their first posts since returning they have provided a link to the document:

Guidelines for New Development in Proximity to Railway Operations

It’s an interesting read that highlights the more important considerations for new construction along railway corridors. Parry Sound certainly needs to understand and take note of the report’s recommendations.

guidelines-for-new-development-in-proximity-to-railway-operations

 

 

Walking the Dog

20 Tuesday Sep 2016

Posted by in Boating/Recreation, Parry Sound, Safety, Suggestions

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Well, this is a new one for me. I have seen people take their dogs out on a leash and walk with them. I have seen people take their dogs out on a run with them. I have seen people do both, with their dogs off leash. I have seen people ride their bikes with their dog or dogs both on and off leash. I have seen people take their dogs for a run while they drove beside them on a deserted country road. And just a few days ago I saw someone driving their ATV with the dog running alongside them. But, last night I saw something new and unexpected.

Taking their dogs, three of them, for a walk or hike or swim, whatever you want to call it, while boating.

We were out on the North Shore Rugged Trail yesterday evening when I saw a tin boat heading out along the trail. I could hear a dog on the boat start to whine as the boat went past Thunder Creek. Continuing along the trail, heading north past Thunder Creek and reaching Survey Monument along the trail, I saw what was up. Three large dogs, two German Shepherd type dogs and one Husky, had been let loose to run back along the trail, while their owner followed offshore in the tin boat.

Two of the dogs came running up at us barking and the dog owner started shouting at them. The third dog came along quietly a few seconds later. Fortunately, it all passed without incident.

What kind of inconsiderate idiot lets three dogs loose on a public trail? Oh, I guess the inconsiderate idiot type. Dogs in packs are unpredictable. And the owner is not there to offer some sort of supervision.

I have heard it all. “Oh, don’t worry they are friendly.” “They bark but don’t bite.” “Oh, it seems they don’t like you.”

I’m not dog-phobic. I grew up with German Shepherds, Bouviers, Rottweilers, and Giant Schnauzers before they became trendy. I have come to understand that unsupervised dogs are unpredictable, especially in groups.

The North Shore Rugged Trail is a public area that needs to be treated with respect and consideration. I have on several occasions been confronted by dogs, alone or in a ‘pack’, that have been let loose to run with their owners following far behind. It turns a pleasant walk into a confrontation with dogs and owners. The owners typically won’t back down and try to blame me for the behaviour of their dogs. At least I don’t have a dog on a lead. I would be more worried about my dog.

On the positive, a few minutes later we came across a couple hiking the trail with their dog on a lead.

Old man, get some exercise while pumping a little less carbon into the atmosphere; walk, don’t ‘boat’ your dogs, preferably on leads.

Shooting Me a Dirty Look from the Safety of His Boat

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TOPS 2016 Budget Bites – Part 4

23 Saturday Jan 2016

Posted by in Budget/Financial, Parry Sound, Reflections, Town Council

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The Emergency and Protective Services Department includes Fire, By-Law and Parking Services. In total this department accounts for almost $1.2 million in expenses that add a little less than $1.1 million to the 2016 Levy.

(Reminder: the final budget meeting is this Tuesday, the 26th, starting at 5:30 PM.)

Fire Department

The Fire Department costs are reasonably straightforward in terms of expenses. Although this service relies heavily on equipment, trucks, fire station and gear, the largest part of the expenses, about two-thirds is related to personnel. Volunteer firefighters are compensated for their time and efforts to the tune of about $250,000 annually. By way of perspective, the annual Fire Department costs are about the same as snow removal or parks management.

FD 2016 Fire

 

By-Law Enforcement

In a similar manner, the greatest expense related to By-Law Enforcement is personnel costs. Services provided to other municipalities, largely parking enforcement (Hmm, are they planning on free parking? I hope not!), reduces total costs by about $32,500.

Fire 2016 By-Law

 

Parking Services

I have reviewed at length in other posts the issues revolving around Parking and Free Parking. In terms of dollars, while Parking amounted to a net $12,000 positive to the levy as recently as 2014, in 2016 it is forecast to be a $137,000 expense. The $35,5000 in revenue is probably related to special parking permits that would permit the holders to park for longer periods than permitted by Free Parking.

Fire 2016 Parking

Fluoridation Redux

07 Wednesday Oct 2015

Posted by in Parry Sound, Reflections

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The fluoridation issue came to the floor of last night’s council meeting and I’m sure the local media will offer a nice summary of the discussion. I ended up doing an impromptu deputation to balance out the public opinion and offer a few thoughts on some of the issues being raised. In thinking about it a little bit more there are some points that I perhaps might have made, or are perhaps worthy of consideration.

1) We have become a very selfish society. It’s all about ‘me’. How do things impact me, and me alone. It’s not a question of what is best for me and my neighbours and my fellow citizens, and my fellow humans, and our environment and our earth. It’s about ‘me’ and what pleases or frightens me. I think about the sacrifices that our parents made to give us what we have. Can you think about a better time in the history of the world to live? Our lifespans are not only longer than ever, but we live in better health for a much larger part of this longer life. Yet we bitch and moan about how the little things are so unfair. Want to go back to the pre-fluoridation years of 1939/45 for something to complain about? Or how about 1918 and the Spanish Flu that killed more than 50 million people? Or how about the Black Plague of 1346-1353? We are largely past these types of pandemics because of public health initiatives. But when public health officials suggest that fluoridation of public water is a benefit, some disagree and resent the imposition of broad public health initiatives. Where would we be without their advice?

There is a simple answer don’t swallow. Swish it around in your mouth to get the dental benefits and then spit it out, and reach for a glass of purchased unfluoridated water and then swallow. Or even cheaper, make friends with a neighbour in our surrounding communities and just bum some water. You actually don’t drink as much as you think. And evidence suggests that what you drink doesn’t hurt you. Unless of course you think it does, and then by golly it does. It’s called the placebo effect and it’s more powerful than most medications.

2 The issue of how and where the sodium fluorosilicate is sourced is a bogus issue. It doesn’t depend where it is sourced, but rather is it sufficiently pure to not introduce toxic ingredients. It doesn’t. As I mentioned last night some of the more commonly used medications come from sources you would rather not know about. Premarin – from the urine of pregnant mares, and the increasingly common use of fecal transplant for patients with C. difficile, where you take the feces (poop) of a close family member, encapsulate it, and ask the patient to take it orally to re-establish the intestinal flora. And not mentioned but an interesting piece of trivia. The natural red dye used in food products and lipstick is sourced from crushed Cochineal bugs. Don’t be worried about where a chemical or ingredient is sourced, be concerned as to whether the company is doing the proscribed testing and quality control.

3) Speaking loudly and forcefully doesn’t make your argument any stronger.

4) The issue of environmental contamination was raised in a couple of deputations. That’s an issue we should all be concerned about, but probably doesn’t apply here. Water naturally has fluoride in it. I understand the fluoride levels in the groundwater in the area surrounding Parry Sound is higher than normal with levels that might be in excess of 1.5 mg / litre. That may explain why one area resident has no cavities despite not benefiting from fluoridated water as a child, or they could be a conscientious brusher, or they could have good genetics. The Town sources its water from Georgian Bay which would not have the same benefits of this enriched natural fluoride source. (See the map below and this Wikipedia article for the source of this map.)

Returning to the issue of environmental contamination I would suggest people worry more about what we flush down the toilets in our pee and poop. The pharmaceuticals we take, partially metabolize, and then excrete have been shown to have a profound impact on amphibians. How do we solve that problem? And what about the people who like to wash surfactants down the drain, and the plastic microparticles found in so many consumer goods? Fluoride is in fact a natural ingredient that is widely found in nature and many water sources.

5) The issue of fluoride and calcium. They are not nearly the same nor do they play the same role in animal physiology. Calcium behaves as a doubly charged cation; fluoride acts a singly charged anion. Calcium has characteristics more like Beryllium, Magnesium, Strontium and Barium than Fluorine. Fluorine behaves more like Chlorine, Bromine and Iodine. Fluoride does not replace calcium. Calcium and fluoride can react to form CaF2, which is largely insoluble.

6) Let’s talk about folic acid supplementation. This is a synthetic chemical that is added to most packaged foods we buy. Its purpose? To prevent congenital malformation and neural tube defects in the children of women who are pregnant. It is important to be taken before conception. So we pretty much put it into all packaged grain based foods, think enriched wheat flour among other foods. So we are all ingesting folic acid to benefit people who aren’t ‘me’. Who made that decision? Don’t we have rights? Actually I can handle it. I have come to realize it’s not always about ‘me’. Can you handle it?

7) Providing free dental services to those who may not be able to afford it. A nice idea but it only works if people take advantage of it. How many people now suffer from debilitating and expensive chronic disease that could have been avoided had they regularly visited a physician when younger? And medical care has been free for decades.

It’s really not a significant sacrifice for the ‘older folks’ in Town to think a little more generously and provide the benefit of fluoridation to those who can most benefit from it. Buy the water you ingest if you think it makes a difference and help those who can benefit from fluoridation. And be cautious about sourcing water from your neighbours with a well. Not only should you worry about E. coli and coliform, but you may actually be getting an even higher dose of fluoride than what is provided by the public water system in Parry Sound. But it will be all natural.

Sometimes it’s not always about “me, me, me’. Sometimes it’s about ‘others, others, others’, or society and the planet as a whole. Our parents came to understand this and the occasional need for personal sacrifice.

Check out the regions of ‘blue’. We are in one of them.

Groundwater Fluoride - Wikipedia

Geographical areas associated with groundwater having over 1.5 mg/L of naturally occurring fluoride, which is above recommended levels.

Parry Sound 2016 Budget – Suggestion #5

28 Monday Sep 2015

Posted by in Budget/Financial, Parry Sound, Suggestions

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A new sign for the North Shore Rugged Trail. This one is getting pretty tired and doesn’t reflect well on the Town, or the trail. I would appreciate it made obvious that dogs should be on leads. Actually I really don’t care if they are on leads, I just want them to be under control. People who walk with their dogs on leads have told me it’s a problem when these ‘dogs on the loose’ come up and harass their pets, especially when they are running in a ‘pack’. And of course the owners insist their dogs are permitted to be off lead. If you look closely you can see someone has tried to ‘peel’ the matter of leads from the sign. Hey if it isn’t posted, or isn’t legible, they can’t be held responsible, can they?

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Parry Sound 2016 Budget – Suggestion #4

26 Saturday Sep 2015

Posted by in Budget/Financial, Parry Sound, Suggestions

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Redwood1890-20150924-IMG_0292

Repair/resurfacing of this stretch of Louisa Street. We know it’s a problem, note the rough road sign that actually means what it indicates. This is a stretch of road that is ideal for cyclists leaving town to avoid riding up Bowes Street. But this stretch, especially when heading downhill, is treacherous. It’s about 100 metres long, and perhaps can be budgeted for resurfacing in 2016 when we have a contractor in Town working on a bigger project.

Dogs on the Loose

17 Thursday Sep 2015

Posted by in Parry Sound, Reflections

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Imagine you are starting on hike along the North Shore Rugged Trail. You park at the Smelter Wharf, walk around the salt pile, and head past the trail sign. Just as you come to the top of the rise you see a couple sitting on the rock, blocking your way in the middle of the path. As you approach closer the man turns, casually pointing a shotgun at you while still blocking the way. Seemingly unaware what he is doing you stop, and ask him to point the gun elsewhere. He gruffly says that there is no issue, the gun isn’t loaded. It seems obvious that you will need to find another way around. But you really don’t want to turn your back on anyone holding a gun, even if it isn’t loaded.

Now imagine that instead of a shotgun the couple have four mid to large sized dogs who run up and block your way, barking and growling. You ask them to take control of their dogs and they tell you not to worry, their dogs don’t bite, despite their current behaviour. What do you do? Start pushing through the dogs, risking a bite? Ask the people to control their dogs? Or turn around and try another path?

Well the second scenario happened to me this past weekend and the people with the dogs were indignant when I asked them to restrain their dogs. I suggested that they should have their dogs under control and preferably on leads. The man told me they were allowed to have their dogs off lead and to “go read the f***ing sign”. Eventually the woman grabbed the dogs and pulled them back so I could pass. He remained on his rear end bitching about the inconvenience. She was muttering about how the dogs just didn’t like me. Well I suspect that the woman was more embarrassed by the situation and her partner’s reaction than she wanted to let on and the dogs were picking up on her emotions, which made it worse.

Well that ruined a pleasant hike as I ran through the whole scenario in my head while hiking the trail. And then a couple of hundred metres ahead my route was blocked by another barking dog. In this case the owners came up and grabbed the dog apologizing for her behaviour. She was a German Shepherd, pretty much full sized, but obviously still a puppy.

It seems that nine out of tem times when I come across a dog off lead on the trail there is no issue. The dog walks by ignoring me, or runs up tail wagging looking for a pat on the head. I’m happy to accommodate them.

Dog owners don’t understand that everyone doesn’t see their pets as friendly and non threatening when they run up to people and start barking and growling. I grew up with large dogs and learned to be cautious with a strange dog, or even a familiar dog in a stressful situation. Put four dogs together as I faced while on the trail and you have a pack, and anything can happen. But of course the owners are not likely to be the ones getting bitten. Someone who is afraid of dogs would have been terrified.

I had a similar situation a year ago along the North Shore Rugged Trail. I was walking along the trail and a large dog came up running, barking, growling and blocking my way. I didn’t move. Eventually the owner, someone I knew, came along with the customary – oh she doesn’t bite. No apologies or promises to keep their dog under control. Just a suggestion that there was no need to be cautious. I dare anyone else to be in that situation and take a step forward or turn their back on the dog.

Despite what the owner of the four dogs said, dogs are required to be on lead when on the North Shore Rugged Trail. It’s on the fading sign. If you want to let your dog run, it’s okay with me, but have them under control.

It’s really not about dogs being off lead, it’s about common courtesy and taking responsibility for your actions and those of your pets. And that includes your dog’s poop.

Dogs can be as dangerous as a shotgun. It all depends on the owner. I hope people will not stop hiking the North Shore Rugged Trail to avoid a few bad actors. Perhaps bear spray is to be recommended. My sense is that soon enough someone is going to get bitten, but it’s not going to be me.

But it Was Still a Gorgeous Evening on the Trail (Parry Sound in Colour)

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Municipal Policing – Mayberry or Ferguson?

24 Wednesday Jun 2015

Posted by in Reflections, Safety, Seguin Township

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The North Star has featured a series of well written articles in the past month concerning the deliberations at Sequin Township Council regarding the option of creating and operating a municipal police force. Seguin is hopeful that other area municipalities, particularly the deep-pocketed municipalities of Carling Township and The Archipelago, will join with them to share and defray the start up and ongoing operational costs of a municipal police force. Seguin is looking to save at least 20% of their eventual Ontario Provincial Police bill. The area municipalities have yet to feel the full impact of the OPP cost changes because the Province has decided to phase the increases in over a five-year period.

Here are some things the Staff, Council and residents of the surrounding municipalities may wish to consider as they debate and decide on local policing.

OPP protection is less a service than it is insurance. The insurance includes competent and capable policing that acts to deter crime. It’s like home insurance. After paying home insurance for more than thirty years, with no claims, it would perhaps have made better sense to self-insure. I would have saved a bundle of money over the past three decades. But would I have had the necessary protection if there were a major fire, or a flood, or a burglary? Could I have qualified for a mortgage without insurance? The municipalities make the argument that they have only a limited number of calls for the police per year and the effective cost per call is too high. Well if you keep your calls for service down you will have lower costs in the long run because the costing is calculated on a per resident charge plus a call for service formula.

Get over the sticker shock. The surrounding municipalities have been living a subsidized existence when it comes to policing costs. This was the reason for the revised two part cost formula implemented by the Province, a, a basic cost per residence (insurance cost) and a cost per incident (service cost). It’s like a service contract on a furnace where you pay a flat fee per year and that gets you a free cleaning, but you pay a deductible if you have a furnace problem and need extra service. The municipalities will still be paying less than that charged to the ‘lawless’ residents of Parry Sound with the new pricing model, and won’t have the ‘pleasure’ of OPP vehicles rushing through their towns to get to a neighbouring municipality.

Do-it-yourself may be more expensive. As expensive as it seems to establish a police force, it will cost even more to dissolve a police force. I have heard that the second happiest day of a boat owner’s life is the day they buy their boat. There are estimates that it will cost about $2 million to set up a municipal police force between the expenses for equipment and a new facility. That figure doesn’t seem to sit well with some members of Seguin Council and they think it’s too high. It’s not! I have yet to see a major project come in under budget. Budget for the $2 million, add in another 25% for unforeseen circumstances, and work like the devil to come in under budget. Don’t start with the thought that you can do it do it for even less. And remember, if you decide it doesn’t work the wind down costs would the same, or even more. Separation packages for police officers aren’t cheap, and specialized used equipment usually gets sold for 25 cents on the dollar.

Will the possible savings represent good value? That 20% savings Seguin is hoping for amounts to what, $250,000 or so annually? Yes that’s a big figure, and if your business model is to be the low cost, low service, municipality then you have a bit of a problem. So you will pay about $2 million upfront to perhaps save $250,000 per year. Hmm, that means an eight-year pay back not considering inflation. Add in even limited inflation and it gets to be ten years. Add in cost overruns and it more like twelve years. And if it doesn’t work out and you start getting the municipal police problems seen in too many small community police forces and you decide to wind it down. Ouch, ouch, ouch. But why not get a few of your neighbours to join in and share the pain, I means the savings?

Small police forces too often lead to big problems. An article in USA Today noted that small police forces don’t have the resources to provide qualified oversight, do proper training, and properly monitor performance. Read the article and don’t assume that Seguin is Mayberry and you will have Andy Griffith and Barney Fife running the show. Actually that might be a great example of the type of policing you will get, except this is real life, not a television script.

Someone needs to take responsibility. Do local councils really want the responsibility of managing a police force? In the case of Seguin, Carling and The Archipelago perhaps they have the time to keep a close eye on a police force in terms of costs and quality control. They don’t have much to worry about beyond road maintenance and making sure they don’t anger the seasonal residents by doing anything that might raise property taxes. Parry Sound Council has their hands full running a real town with real services in addition to managing services for the District. But hey, if the municipal policing thing really doesn’t work out the councillors can always choose to not run for reelection and let someone else clean up the mess.

I look forward to following the OPP deliberations at Seguin Township Council, and may even drop by for a couple of meetings. From what I have read things are starting to heat up. Why watch reality television, when you have council meetings? It’s not as scripted and there is no post production editing.

Handle With Care!

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