Robert Fisher
Staff Reporter
BARRY’S BAY – Hilary Kutchkoskie, operations superintendent, requested minor changes to waste collection processes at the Oct. 3 council meeting for the Township of Madawaska Valley (MV).
Kutchkoskie recommended changing the Sunday and holiday Monday hours at the Combermere transfer station site to close at 8 p.m. instead of 9 p.m. From mid-August and into September darkness sets in earlier and is unsafe for attendants and residents.
The other change he requested was to eliminate two curbside yard waste pickups because the Bark Lake waste site can always take yard waste. He recommended eliminating the June and September pickups.
He also informed council that he received an updated list of eligible recycling materials. The list of acceptable recycling materials is being expanded to be consistent province-wide in connection with the change to the producer pays recycling process beginning Jan. 1, 2026. The changes include that more types of plastics including grocery, bread and milk bags being acceptable along with all types of Styrofoam-type packaging.
Council approved the changes. Council also discussed an update to the township road naming bylaw to allow for civic addresses on water-only access island properties to allow owners to receive mail at the post office. Staff will bring the amended bylaw to council later in October for final approval.
Coun. Mary Blank said she has received complaints from residents about drivers speeding on Sand Hill Drive and Sprucedale Avenue in Barry’s Bay. Township operations staff will install speed limit signs in the area to try to reduce incidence of speeding. She also asked council to approve a request to the OPP to monitor speeding in Barry’s Bay more frequently.
Kutchkoskie informed council that he has instructed an external consultant to submit the paperwork to receive approval from the province to stop monitoring environmental conditions at the Wilno waste transfer site. The province approved the request in a letter dated Sept. 18.
Crooked Slide Park rehabilitation
The township issued a tender in early September for the rehabilitation of the chute at Crooked Slide Park in Combermere. Recreation Manager Hannah Gutoskie informed council at the Oct. 3 meeting that four contractors responded asking similar questions. The tender document did not include necessary information for them to submit a bid. The missing information included, “the lack of structural design, the lack of all plans for foundation size for piers, missing connection details to bedrock on elements that must be disassembled, environmental monitoring queries, questions related to the soil or the wood type to be used as well as environmental protections working so close to water, structural or foundation supports on the chute. And more.”
Gutoskie concluded, from the extent of information missing in the tender document that it did not, “provide adequate information for this project to be bid upon fairly and the requirements far exceeded an addendum and instead warranted cancellation of this tender.”
Department heads can cancel a tender at any time. As a newly-appointed department head, she cancelled the tender effective Sept. 25. The information in the tender was based, in part, on a report from Knight Builders dated July 1, which discussed the sections of the chute and walkways that needed work, however, did not discuss structural design requirements.
Gutoskie asked council to approve engaging a consultant to complete a structural review and design for the project.
Blank asked if Gutoskie had a cost estimate for the design work. “I do not,” replied Gutoskie. “Is there any type of funding?” available through grant programs, Blank asked. “Not that I’m aware of right now,” Gutoskie responded. Her hope, she said, is to complete the design part of the project in 2025 using the $40,000 that had been set aside for the project and complete the rehabilitation work in 2026.
Coun. Shelley Maika suggested Gutoskie look into whether documentation still exists from the last time the slide was rehabilitated in the 1990s and use those documents as a starting point.
Council approved for Gutoskie to issue a tender seeking engineered specifications and drawings for the project.
Highway 62 rest stop
Robert Howe, a resident of Madawaska Valley, submitted a letter to the County of Renfrew, MV and the province expressing concern about the condition of a rest stop on Highway 62 just south of Barry’s Bay on the way to Combermere.
Gutoskie responded to Howe stating that the township leased the site from the province from 2015 through 2023 and did maintain the site during that period, including providing portable washrooms. Her email states, “Near the end of the lease we struggled with improper use – regular garbage dumping, people using the porta potties to empty the contents of their trailers, vandalism of the stone fireplaces. Council indicated to staff in early 2023 they would not renew the lease, which expired in December 2023. The MTO was informed of the decision not to proceed with a renewed lease in March 2023.” She told Howe she has requested information from the province about maintenance of the site.
The township received a letter from Lee Perkins at the County of Renfrew. Staff did not include the letter in the council agenda package. Council members received a copy. Mayor David Shulist summarized the Perkins letter saying the county has no desire to take over the site and maintain it.
The province has, Gutoskie told council, visited the site for an overview and are evaluating what to do with it moving forward. The province will provide information to the township at some point in the future.
Blank said she received a complaint about garbage being stuffed into the stone fireplaces. Township staff removed the garbage as a safety concern. Blank felt staff should not continue doing that. “If people keep stuffing stuff into those fireplaces, the fireplaces need to go,” she said flatly.
Council directed Kutchkoskie to inform the province when the township receives complaints about garbage at the rest area so the province can take care of it.
Chief Administrative Officer Suzanne Klatt related that staff recognizes the benefit of the space and that it is, “an eyesore coming into Barry’s Bay,” and people will not realize the property is provincially owned and not township property. The township will continue to impress upon the province that the area is beneficial and should remain open and the province should maintain it properly.
robert@thevalleygazette.ca
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