Recorded Vote Shows Divided Opinions
Tessa Swanton (Townson),
Bruce Peninsula Press
The Municipality of Northern Bruce Peninsula Council (MNBP) passed a motion at the July 13 Council Meeting directing staff to move ahead with a legal process to close Cabot Head Road and convert the corridor to a non-motorized public trail for walking or cycling (Option 3). A recorded vote requested by Councillor Todd Dowd resulted in Councillors Dowd and Laurie (Smokey) Golden opposing the motion and Mayor Milt McIver, Deputy Mayor Rod Anderson, and Councillor Aman Sohrab in favour. Majority ruled and the motion passed.
A comprehensive report prepared by Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Peggy Van Mierlo-West was presented at the meeting identifying a capital expenditure of $150,000-$350,000 for Option 3 with an annual operating cost of $95,000-$180,000. The project would take 18-36 months to implement with federal, landowner, partner, trail-user, accessibility, and public consultation required. Public vehicles are prohibited with emergency, property, or partner access to be arranged legally. Walking/cycling along the trail would be permitted from April through November.
The CAO’s report listed annual operating items like seasonal trail attendants, by-law enforcement, trail/drainage maintenance, communications, signs, environmental monitoring, and insurance. It further states that the Municipality would need to confirm legal status and obtain any federal approvals, preserve lawful access for affected properties and facilities, and complete any survey, landowner, or easement work.
Councillors Dowd and Golden preferred moving ahead with a hybrid access model including: controlled vehicle access for approved users, public non-motorized trail, and scheduled seasonal accessible transportation. This option brought the greatest operational complexity, highest annual operating cost of $260,000-$450,000 and substantial capital cost of $475,000-$900,000.
Mayor McIver said that other municipal roads with houses require road work and the Municipality has other infrastructure that needs maintenance. “To take on something like this and spend a lot of money, I don’t think it’s fair to the people that have been waiting a number of years who need work done on their roads.” He also referred to the negative effect that the increased traffic volume had on the Dyers Bay Community when Cabot Head Road was open to the public in the past. “The decision I make is based solely on the Dyers Bay Community,” said the mayor.
Councillor Golden voiced her love for Cabot Head calling it an “iconic piece of Peninsula history” and saying that the effects of having the road open can be mitigated. She referred to the importance of tourism to the MNBP economy, to which Mayor McIver stated, “We support tourism, but not at all costs.” Councillor Golden agreed with that statement.
The report detailed another option – full reconstruction of the road and permitting public vehicle access – costing $10 million upfront and $175,000-$320,000 annually in operating costs. Maintaining the existing road closure was the final option, costing $25,000-$100,000 in capital costs and $45,000-$100,000 yearly.
To read the full report online, visit https://northernbrucepeninsula.civicweb.net/ and click on the July 13 Council Meeting on the calendar.
