These two documents: The Farm Guide and Reg. 603 of the Highway Traffic Act have been provided for information.
Please note the MTO has confirmed as of December 2011, there are no plans to add any other sections of highway 7 and 8 to Reg. 603.
Highway Traffic Act
Farm Guide
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Monday, October 24, 2011
Perth East asks MTO for an update
The following report was shared with the groups in Perth County, who have been involved in the Highway discussions and EA process. It was solicited by Perth East Council.
From Glenn Schwendinger, COA:
It had been some time since we had received an update from the MTO and it appears that some of the target dates which the MTO had referenced in the past had come and gone without any additional information or notice being received.
As such, the decision was made to send a request on behalf of the Township to the MTO to request an update. A response was received, and this was forwarded to Council last evening. The attached report was received for information by Council.
7 2 1 Cao Report Highway 7 8-1
From Glenn Schwendinger, COA:
It had been some time since we had received an update from the MTO and it appears that some of the target dates which the MTO had referenced in the past had come and gone without any additional information or notice being received.
As such, the decision was made to send a request on behalf of the Township to the MTO to request an update. A response was received, and this was forwarded to Council last evening. The attached report was received for information by Council.
7 2 1 Cao Report Highway 7 8-1
Ministry Plans More Consultations with Farmers.
Oct 2011 The Beacon Herald - LAURA CUDWORTH Staff Reporter lcudworth@bowesnet.com
As a result, community meetings have been postponed to early 2012
The Ministry of Transportation will hold more meetings with area farmers affected by the contentious Hwy. 7/ 8 expansion later this fall.
As a result, community meetings have been postponed to early 2012. The route the MTO unveiled in January follows Hwy. 7/ 8 until about 2.5 kilometres east of Shakespeare. It then drops south and follows the train tracks and eventually veers further south through a bush lot and farmland and then runs along a municipal drain before it connects with Line 33 ( Pork Rd.), where it bypasses Stratford.
That route spares Shakespeare but will eat into farmland which has been highly contentious.
“ Over the course of the study, the Agricultural Business Community ( of Perth East, South Perth and Wilmot West) has forwarded a number of concerns that were considered during the route selection ( planning) phase. Now that we have a selected route, we will be exploring various ways to address their concerns in more detail. We are currently planning to undertake additional informal consultations that will be focused on obtaining more specific information from farm producers and developing ideas to soften any potential impacts,” said Charles Organ, senior project manager for the MTO, in an e-mail.
The meetings with farmers and ABC will likely not impact the route because the planning phase is complete.
There is no chance the highway will be expanded through Shakespeare.
“MTO is proceeding with the preferred route that was presented at the last round of PICS (public consultations) held in January 2011. The route does not go through Shakespeare,” Organ said.
As a result, community meetings have been postponed to early 2012
The Ministry of Transportation will hold more meetings with area farmers affected by the contentious Hwy. 7/ 8 expansion later this fall.
As a result, community meetings have been postponed to early 2012. The route the MTO unveiled in January follows Hwy. 7/ 8 until about 2.5 kilometres east of Shakespeare. It then drops south and follows the train tracks and eventually veers further south through a bush lot and farmland and then runs along a municipal drain before it connects with Line 33 ( Pork Rd.), where it bypasses Stratford.
That route spares Shakespeare but will eat into farmland which has been highly contentious.
“ Over the course of the study, the Agricultural Business Community ( of Perth East, South Perth and Wilmot West) has forwarded a number of concerns that were considered during the route selection ( planning) phase. Now that we have a selected route, we will be exploring various ways to address their concerns in more detail. We are currently planning to undertake additional informal consultations that will be focused on obtaining more specific information from farm producers and developing ideas to soften any potential impacts,” said Charles Organ, senior project manager for the MTO, in an e-mail.
The meetings with farmers and ABC will likely not impact the route because the planning phase is complete.
There is no chance the highway will be expanded through Shakespeare.
“MTO is proceeding with the preferred route that was presented at the last round of PICS (public consultations) held in January 2011. The route does not go through Shakespeare,” Organ said.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Mpp sends letter to Minister
Below are pages one and two of a letter from MPP Wilkinson, sent to the Minister of Transportation, which summaries the results of a meeting with the MTO.
JW Letter to MTO Pg 1 Aug 2011
JW Letter to MTO Pg 2 Aug 2011
JW Letter to MTO Pg 1 Aug 2011
JW Letter to MTO Pg 2 Aug 2011
Monday, September 19, 2011
Fall Update
Fall Update
Earlier this year the Minister of Transportation wrote to ABC. ABC thought long and hard about what was being offered to us by the Minister of Transportation. (See letter at www.hwy7and8.blogspot.com )
A volunteer meeting to consider all options was held. As it was high season for agriculture in a difficult year, we asked for time to consider what the Minister was suggesting. ABC again did more research and had decided to refuse the Minister.
Before we took that final step we asked Mr. Wilkinson, MPP for advice about our response for the Minister. Mr. Wilkinson eventually facilitated a meeting to see if there was any common ground. The letter of Aug 1st is the result.
ABC has held meetings over the summer to try to identify the MTO next steps. At this time the selected route has not been confirmed.
We continue to stress the importance of retaining agricultural land and businesses and the potential impacts to our livelihoods that would result from restricted road access.
More recently we spoke with the MTO Regional Director for the study area about the issues.
A copy of the letter to the Minister of Transportation summarizing the meeting with ABC and MTO staff has been posted to the website.
Read the letter for all the details at : www.hwy7and8.blogspot.com
Earlier this year the Minister of Transportation wrote to ABC. ABC thought long and hard about what was being offered to us by the Minister of Transportation. (See letter at www.hwy7and8.blogspot.com )
A volunteer meeting to consider all options was held. As it was high season for agriculture in a difficult year, we asked for time to consider what the Minister was suggesting. ABC again did more research and had decided to refuse the Minister.
Before we took that final step we asked Mr. Wilkinson, MPP for advice about our response for the Minister. Mr. Wilkinson eventually facilitated a meeting to see if there was any common ground. The letter of Aug 1st is the result.
ABC has held meetings over the summer to try to identify the MTO next steps. At this time the selected route has not been confirmed.
We continue to stress the importance of retaining agricultural land and businesses and the potential impacts to our livelihoods that would result from restricted road access.
More recently we spoke with the MTO Regional Director for the study area about the issues.
A copy of the letter to the Minister of Transportation summarizing the meeting with ABC and MTO staff has been posted to the website.
Read the letter for all the details at : www.hwy7and8.blogspot.com
Friday, June 17, 2011
Minister of Transportation Responds to PIC concerns
Earlier this spring, ABC responded to the March PIC deadline . At that time letters of concern were forwarded to both the Minister of the Environment and the Minister of Transportation as the result of material sent to ABC by the consultants. The Minister of Transportation responded to our concerns and her letter is below. ABC called a volunteer meeting at that point to discuss possible responses. Any strategy or direction we finally take will be vetted by the volunteers and the Executive of ABC. The response sent back to the Minister is further down this page.
3167 signed[1]
Minister of Transportation PIC 4 05132011[1]
3167 signed[1]
Minister of Transportation PIC 4 05132011[1]
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Another Letter to the Editor
Highway 7/8 expansion could lead to ruin for some farmers........ We are writing in response to our conversation at the Shakespeare Hall on Jan. 18 with representatives of the Ministry of Transportation and their consultants. We were shocked to learn that the proposed route for the Highway 7/8 corridor would run directly south of our property, Alpaca Acres (Lot 25, Concession 1, Perth East). The impact of this proposal would be devastating to our business and would shatter our dreams for our retirement and our plans of building a business that could be passed onto our son. more.....
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Letter to the Editor March 22nd, 2011
Latest Highway 7/8 route not better
Contrary a Point of View which appeared in The Beacon Herald, most people are unhappy with MTO's path of least resistance.
The comments in the paper are beyond absurd that a swing road south of Shakespeare is the lesser of two evils as this path forces the road not just around Shakespeare, but to continue for 9 kilometres through highly- productive farm land all the way to Stratford.
This option not only destroys quality farm land, but also brings added cost to all the farm businesses, as it restricts normal farm movement to other properties which are vital parts of their operation.
Farms are no longer single parcels of land, but many parcels, both owned and rented. A farmer needs this to be competitive but most of all good land stewards; rotating crops and wise use of animal compost.
In terms that non-farmers can understand this section of road would take out approximately 530 acres. If it were all planted in wheat, at 42 loaves of bread per bushel, you would lose 1,335,600 loaves of bread per year.
As The Beacon Herald article said but reversed. Logic would dictate that it needs to take a route that will have the least amount of negative impact. To that end, the RURAL route should be off the table and enter Shakespeare instead.
As for other vital information on the MTO and the study team, they have a huge list of guidelines to help them find a preferred route. They have failed on almost every one!
Guideline #1. Efficient use shall be made of existing and planned infrastructure -(not making efficient use of existing hwy 7&8).
#2. Encourage more compact communities with services, shops, and businesses. -(Shakespeare will become a ghost town by redirecting traffic around the village).
#3. Curb urban sprawl as best possible -(they are encouraging urban sprawl with a new Highway 7&8).
#4. Preserve green space and agriculture lands - (they are doing anything but with this new route).
#5. Cut down on car dependency -(they are encouraging more commuters).
#6. Contribute to better air quality -- (encouraging more cars at a higher rate of speed, this goes totally against the government's Kyoto accord agreement.)
#7. Spur transit investment -(the highway discourages transit investment).
#8 Promote a culture of conservation -(they are failing by promoting commuters to go further).
#9. Reduce reliance on any single mode of transportation -(again, encouraging more car use).
#10. Revitalize downtowns -(neither Shakespeare nor the city of Stratford's downtowns will be revitalized with the new preferred route).
These guidelines are quoted from the Study Team's Report B. The most important guideline which is mentioned many times and is in their stated purpose is to address the needs of the analysis area.
Here we have a study group that is on their fourth try. At first they said we needed a 400-series style road going around New Hamburg, Shakespeare, and Stratford because that is what we needed!
When people questioned their logic they soon backed off. In reality we have a traffic count of 9,800 vehicles per day (VPD), on an existing road that can handle 17,000 VPD and if they do a good job of up grading the existing road to four lanes (they already own most of the land.) We would have a safer road that can handle in the range of 32,000-38,000 VPD. This will more than address the needs well past their 30 year projection!
Some may be upset, but this route beats the alternative!
Paul Gras
RR 4 Stratford
Contrary a Point of View which appeared in The Beacon Herald, most people are unhappy with MTO's path of least resistance.
The comments in the paper are beyond absurd that a swing road south of Shakespeare is the lesser of two evils as this path forces the road not just around Shakespeare, but to continue for 9 kilometres through highly- productive farm land all the way to Stratford.
This option not only destroys quality farm land, but also brings added cost to all the farm businesses, as it restricts normal farm movement to other properties which are vital parts of their operation.
Farms are no longer single parcels of land, but many parcels, both owned and rented. A farmer needs this to be competitive but most of all good land stewards; rotating crops and wise use of animal compost.
In terms that non-farmers can understand this section of road would take out approximately 530 acres. If it were all planted in wheat, at 42 loaves of bread per bushel, you would lose 1,335,600 loaves of bread per year.
As The Beacon Herald article said but reversed. Logic would dictate that it needs to take a route that will have the least amount of negative impact. To that end, the RURAL route should be off the table and enter Shakespeare instead.
As for other vital information on the MTO and the study team, they have a huge list of guidelines to help them find a preferred route. They have failed on almost every one!
Guideline #1. Efficient use shall be made of existing and planned infrastructure -(not making efficient use of existing hwy 7&8).
#2. Encourage more compact communities with services, shops, and businesses. -(Shakespeare will become a ghost town by redirecting traffic around the village).
#3. Curb urban sprawl as best possible -(they are encouraging urban sprawl with a new Highway 7&8).
#4. Preserve green space and agriculture lands - (they are doing anything but with this new route).
#5. Cut down on car dependency -(they are encouraging more commuters).
#6. Contribute to better air quality -- (encouraging more cars at a higher rate of speed, this goes totally against the government's Kyoto accord agreement.)
#7. Spur transit investment -(the highway discourages transit investment).
#8 Promote a culture of conservation -(they are failing by promoting commuters to go further).
#9. Reduce reliance on any single mode of transportation -(again, encouraging more car use).
#10. Revitalize downtowns -(neither Shakespeare nor the city of Stratford's downtowns will be revitalized with the new preferred route).
These guidelines are quoted from the Study Team's Report B. The most important guideline which is mentioned many times and is in their stated purpose is to address the needs of the analysis area.
Here we have a study group that is on their fourth try. At first they said we needed a 400-series style road going around New Hamburg, Shakespeare, and Stratford because that is what we needed!
When people questioned their logic they soon backed off. In reality we have a traffic count of 9,800 vehicles per day (VPD), on an existing road that can handle 17,000 VPD and if they do a good job of up grading the existing road to four lanes (they already own most of the land.) We would have a safer road that can handle in the range of 32,000-38,000 VPD. This will more than address the needs well past their 30 year projection!
Some may be upset, but this route beats the alternative!
Paul Gras
RR 4 Stratford
Perth East Responds to PIC 4
The Municipal Council for Perth East has issued it's response to the March 25th deadline for comment on PIC 4. This was held in Jan. 2011 in Shakespeare.
Perth East Comments on HWY 7 Corridor - March 2011 FINAL
Perth East Comments on HWY 7 Corridor - March 2011 FINAL
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Farmers push for highway changes
By LAURA CUDWORTH STAFF REPORTER
Farmers affected by the proposed highway expansion found some friends on Perth East council.
However, they were left wondering if they had any support for the bulk of the meeting last night. The Agricultural Business Community (ABC) of Perth East, Perth South and Wilmot West made a presentation at the start of the meeting, but council was tight-lipped about the controversy surrounding the highway expansion until the end of the meeting.
ABC asked council to reject the most recent route proposed by the MTO and "require they go back to the drawing board" and come back with a new proposal that addresses ABC concerns.
"I think it's in our best interests not to be the ones who pick a route," said Deputy Mayor Bob McMillan. "There's no right answer, someone loses along the way."
Council declined to accept the ABC recommendation, but did vote to add any points from the ABC report not included in council's own draft of concerns that was headed to the Ministry of Transportation.
"Their response was better than I had hoped, but I still have concerns," said Sharon Weitzel of ABC after the meeting. "No one knows how flawed the process is. There shouldn't be any route approval until there are answers to our questions."
There are many questions from farmers and from councillors too.
The route unveiled in January follows Hwy. 7/8 until about 2.5 kilometres east of Shakespeare. It drops south and follows the train tracks and eventually veers further south through a bush lot and farmland, then follows a municipal drain before it connects with Line 33 or Pork Rd., where it bypasses Stratford.
The newest route bypassed Shakespeare after residents there mounted a loud and consistent lobby against a proposal that had the highway go right through town.
While residents of Shakespeare were able to breath a sigh of relief, farmers had to regroup and sort out what the consequences of the new route will be on their homes and businesses. The route will take out 500 acres of farmland to start, but other land may be necessary, Weitzel said. What she doesn't know is how much land and what the land is for.
Twenty-two agricultural businesses with 14,000 acres will be impacted by the route, said Paula Niece, of ABC. Access to farms currently divided by county roads or spread across parts of the county could be impossible, ABC suggested.
"If 22 businesses in Stratford or New Hamburg were affected they would have to listen. We're talking about cutting people off. Transportation is vital to agriculture," Niece said.
Coun. Rhonda Ehgoetz insisted a comment about council being "generally in support" of the route be taken out of the letter to the ministry.
The amount of farmland and the lack of road access for farm vehicles were two of her concerns. Still, she stopped short of supporting the recommendation.
"We can't pick and choose a side. We haven't done that yet."
Council will revisit its latest draft of concerns at the March 22 meeting.
A short list of concerns highlighted by ABC include:
* The proposed route does not use land on the north side of the existing highway between Shakespeare and Stratford that was taken from agriculture 30 years ago for the highway.
* Access to farm properties will be eliminated.
* The route puts some farmers in noncompliance with the Nutrient Management Act.
lcudworth@bowesnet.com
Farmers affected by the proposed highway expansion found some friends on Perth East council.
However, they were left wondering if they had any support for the bulk of the meeting last night. The Agricultural Business Community (ABC) of Perth East, Perth South and Wilmot West made a presentation at the start of the meeting, but council was tight-lipped about the controversy surrounding the highway expansion until the end of the meeting.
ABC asked council to reject the most recent route proposed by the MTO and "require they go back to the drawing board" and come back with a new proposal that addresses ABC concerns.
"I think it's in our best interests not to be the ones who pick a route," said Deputy Mayor Bob McMillan. "There's no right answer, someone loses along the way."
Council declined to accept the ABC recommendation, but did vote to add any points from the ABC report not included in council's own draft of concerns that was headed to the Ministry of Transportation.
"Their response was better than I had hoped, but I still have concerns," said Sharon Weitzel of ABC after the meeting. "No one knows how flawed the process is. There shouldn't be any route approval until there are answers to our questions."
There are many questions from farmers and from councillors too.
The route unveiled in January follows Hwy. 7/8 until about 2.5 kilometres east of Shakespeare. It drops south and follows the train tracks and eventually veers further south through a bush lot and farmland, then follows a municipal drain before it connects with Line 33 or Pork Rd., where it bypasses Stratford.
The newest route bypassed Shakespeare after residents there mounted a loud and consistent lobby against a proposal that had the highway go right through town.
While residents of Shakespeare were able to breath a sigh of relief, farmers had to regroup and sort out what the consequences of the new route will be on their homes and businesses. The route will take out 500 acres of farmland to start, but other land may be necessary, Weitzel said. What she doesn't know is how much land and what the land is for.
Twenty-two agricultural businesses with 14,000 acres will be impacted by the route, said Paula Niece, of ABC. Access to farms currently divided by county roads or spread across parts of the county could be impossible, ABC suggested.
"If 22 businesses in Stratford or New Hamburg were affected they would have to listen. We're talking about cutting people off. Transportation is vital to agriculture," Niece said.
Coun. Rhonda Ehgoetz insisted a comment about council being "generally in support" of the route be taken out of the letter to the ministry.
The amount of farmland and the lack of road access for farm vehicles were two of her concerns. Still, she stopped short of supporting the recommendation.
"We can't pick and choose a side. We haven't done that yet."
Council will revisit its latest draft of concerns at the March 22 meeting.
A short list of concerns highlighted by ABC include:
* The proposed route does not use land on the north side of the existing highway between Shakespeare and Stratford that was taken from agriculture 30 years ago for the highway.
* Access to farm properties will be eliminated.
* The route puts some farmers in noncompliance with the Nutrient Management Act.
lcudworth@bowesnet.com
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Letter to the Editor - Beacon Herald March 15th, 2011
Over thirty years ago the government told farmers east of Stratford along the north side of the existing Highway 7 and 8 that they were buying land off the front of their farms for future expansion of the highway. There was no discussion and this land was taken out of agriculture. If you drive today from Stratford towards Shakespeare you will note along the north side of the highway the fenced set back stretching from the Little Lakes to the west side of Shakespeare.
In January of this year the MTO and their consultant presented plans for a new Highwsy7/8 route. They are not planning on using the land they bought thirty years ago. Instead they are proposing a four lane controlled access highway that skirts south of Shakespeare and parallels the railroad until it comes near Road 110 where it will diagonally cut through several farms before it meets with Lorne Avenue. This route will take land from the backs of several farms adjacent to the railway and the controlled access route will prohibit farm lanes and access to farm land by producers.
The plan does not state what will happen to the existing north-south concession roads that cross the highway and are vital transportation links for farm equipment to pass between land units.
The role of ABC has been to educate the consultants on the intricacies of the business of farming. We have provided them with unlimited access to the community to make sense of the implications of their plans. We have prepared numerous briefs that can be seen on our web site hwy7and8.blogspot.com to help them make better decisions when it comes to agriculture.
The new proposal takes hundreds of acres out of production, puts many livestock producers in non-compliance of the nutrient management act, and gives no indication of how critical transportation links will be maintained.
If you do your best to buy local, if you follow the 100 mile diet, if you benefit directly or indirectly from Savour Stratford, and if you enjoy the rural landscape of century owned farms and well maintained farm lands on your country jaunts please take a moment to think about what you can do to help save farm land.
The MTO is requesting comments March 25. This is our last opportunity to influence the location of the planned route for this highway.
They can be reached at:
Ms. Brenda Jamieson, P. Eng.
Consultant Project Manager
AECOM
300 Water Street
Whitby, ON L1N 9J2
Email: projectteam@7and8corridorstudy.ca
Tel: Toll Free 1-866-921-9268
Fax: (905) 668-0221
Mr. Charles Organ, C.E.T.
Ministry of Transportation
- West Region
Project Manager
Planning & Design Section
659 Exeter Road
London, ON N6E 1L3
Email: projectteam@7and8corridorstudy.ca
Tel: (519) 873-4591
Tel: Toll Free 1-866-921-9268
Fax: (519) 873-4600
From Agricultural Business Community (ABC) of Perth East, Perth South and Wilmot West
In January of this year the MTO and their consultant presented plans for a new Highwsy7/8 route. They are not planning on using the land they bought thirty years ago. Instead they are proposing a four lane controlled access highway that skirts south of Shakespeare and parallels the railroad until it comes near Road 110 where it will diagonally cut through several farms before it meets with Lorne Avenue. This route will take land from the backs of several farms adjacent to the railway and the controlled access route will prohibit farm lanes and access to farm land by producers.
The plan does not state what will happen to the existing north-south concession roads that cross the highway and are vital transportation links for farm equipment to pass between land units.
The role of ABC has been to educate the consultants on the intricacies of the business of farming. We have provided them with unlimited access to the community to make sense of the implications of their plans. We have prepared numerous briefs that can be seen on our web site hwy7and8.blogspot.com to help them make better decisions when it comes to agriculture.
The new proposal takes hundreds of acres out of production, puts many livestock producers in non-compliance of the nutrient management act, and gives no indication of how critical transportation links will be maintained.
If you do your best to buy local, if you follow the 100 mile diet, if you benefit directly or indirectly from Savour Stratford, and if you enjoy the rural landscape of century owned farms and well maintained farm lands on your country jaunts please take a moment to think about what you can do to help save farm land.
The MTO is requesting comments March 25. This is our last opportunity to influence the location of the planned route for this highway.
They can be reached at:
Ms. Brenda Jamieson, P. Eng.
Consultant Project Manager
AECOM
300 Water Street
Whitby, ON L1N 9J2
Email: projectteam@7and8corridorstudy.ca
Tel: Toll Free 1-866-921-9268
Fax: (905) 668-0221
Mr. Charles Organ, C.E.T.
Ministry of Transportation
- West Region
Project Manager
Planning & Design Section
659 Exeter Road
London, ON N6E 1L3
Email: projectteam@7and8corridorstudy.ca
Tel: (519) 873-4591
Tel: Toll Free 1-866-921-9268
Fax: (519) 873-4600
From Agricultural Business Community (ABC) of Perth East, Perth South and Wilmot West
Friday, February 11, 2011
ABC sends out Press Release
Agriculture Business Community, Perth East, Perth South, Wilmot West
PRESS RELEASE
The Agriculture Business Community, Perth East, Perth South, Wilmot West is composed of approximately 300 members in the 3 townships who are or could be impacted by any future road development as proposed by the MTO and the Hwy 7 and 8 Study Team. At the recent Public Information Meetings (PIC) in Shakespeare, (Jan. 17th and 18th) many of our members were alarmed at the amount of agricultural land that will be lost to highway development if this proposal goes through. Others are concerned about the impact on century farm homes.
From our initial ABC member debriefing to review feedback from the January PIC we were disturbed by the number of different answers given to the same questions by the MTO and their consultants. This is generating confusion and misinformation among members.
ABC members are concerned about the producers directly in the path of this proposed route as well as the farm businesses that rely upon access, both north and south crossing Highway 7&8 and those using sections of the existing route to move equipment, forage, manure and animals across land holdings that contribute to the farm business unit.
The community is being asked to comment on this proposal without being provided with information on what north/south links will remain open to farm equipment and the nature of these crossings be they overpasses or underpasses. The design decisions will presumably take more land from agriculture.
All livestock producers within the proposed route would be at risk of being non-compliance of the Nutrient Management Act. This Act is designed to protect all of our water supply and farmers presently carry all the costs to be in compliance.
While the MTO has indicated that they recognize the Act in some respects, individual farmers and businesses should not have to accept this loss or cost on behalf of our society.
Also to date, in spite of repeated requests, the MTO has not agreed to provide for any engineering or oversight for the drains both private and municipal that run beside and through this area. They have been told repeated by ABC that their drainage information is a decade old and yet they have moved forward with recommendations based on it. Individual owners of properties and Municipalities should not be forced to accept this societal cost, either.
ABC continues to contact members and review Report H to try to assess the impact of the proposed route on the agricultural business of the three townships. We will present a final report to the MTO by their March 25th deadline.
PRESS RELEASE
The Agriculture Business Community, Perth East, Perth South, Wilmot West is composed of approximately 300 members in the 3 townships who are or could be impacted by any future road development as proposed by the MTO and the Hwy 7 and 8 Study Team. At the recent Public Information Meetings (PIC) in Shakespeare, (Jan. 17th and 18th) many of our members were alarmed at the amount of agricultural land that will be lost to highway development if this proposal goes through. Others are concerned about the impact on century farm homes.
From our initial ABC member debriefing to review feedback from the January PIC we were disturbed by the number of different answers given to the same questions by the MTO and their consultants. This is generating confusion and misinformation among members.
ABC members are concerned about the producers directly in the path of this proposed route as well as the farm businesses that rely upon access, both north and south crossing Highway 7&8 and those using sections of the existing route to move equipment, forage, manure and animals across land holdings that contribute to the farm business unit.
The community is being asked to comment on this proposal without being provided with information on what north/south links will remain open to farm equipment and the nature of these crossings be they overpasses or underpasses. The design decisions will presumably take more land from agriculture.
All livestock producers within the proposed route would be at risk of being non-compliance of the Nutrient Management Act. This Act is designed to protect all of our water supply and farmers presently carry all the costs to be in compliance.
While the MTO has indicated that they recognize the Act in some respects, individual farmers and businesses should not have to accept this loss or cost on behalf of our society.
Also to date, in spite of repeated requests, the MTO has not agreed to provide for any engineering or oversight for the drains both private and municipal that run beside and through this area. They have been told repeated by ABC that their drainage information is a decade old and yet they have moved forward with recommendations based on it. Individual owners of properties and Municipalities should not be forced to accept this societal cost, either.
ABC continues to contact members and review Report H to try to assess the impact of the proposed route on the agricultural business of the three townships. We will present a final report to the MTO by their March 25th deadline.
Waiting for bulldozers, but don't hold your breath
By JOHN KASTNER Beacon Herald
It would appear that some of the major obstacles to improved access from Stratford to New Hamburg have been cleared.
One, it would appear that the Ministry of Transportation has settled on a route that would swing south of Shakespeare and spare the hamlet. That only makes sense and it's rather surprising it took this long to come to that conclusion.
Another scenario, which would have seen Pork Rd. (Line 33) and possibly Vivian St. improved to highway standards to alleviate the pressure on the main highway, was rejected out of hand and a report obtained by The Beacon Herald last week gave some reasonable explanations.
The premise would have been to make Pork Rd. and Vivian St. one-way roads with one having two lanes east, the other two lanes west.
The logistical challenges were cited as one of the main obstacles and that is a valid point. A farmer who wants to go 100 metres west but is on the east-only road would have to go around a country block to get to the neighbours or even to his adjoining farm property.
Plowing five lanes through Shakespeare made no sense, but making people go five miles to get next door is not much better. The structure of the roads was also cited, and they are, in their present form at least, certainly secondary roads in both construction and design.
Widening those roads and bringing them up to snuff would not only have required extensive improvements to the road but it would have required buying property from current landowners along Vivian St. and Pork Rd.
All that was deemed fiscally prohibitive.
That would appear to have been the first time money was seen as a factor in these plans.
Also of note, the province has purchased Lingelbach United Church which sits just a few metres to the north of the highway between Shakespeare and New Hamburg.
That means that when the highway is widened it can move slightly to the north and miss both the cemetery and the Fryfogel Inn, which are on the south side.
So with some of the major obstacles out of the way one is left to wonder just when this grand construction project will begin. Well, given that the expansion of this highway has been talked about for more than 30 years, one wonders. And the document obtained by The Beacon Herald cites projected traffic volumes in 2031 as a basis for choosing the preferred route.
So, as much as both the new and old routes have caused a lot of angst, it would appear the arrival of bulldozers and earthmovers along Highway 7/8 isn't exactly imminent.
It would appear that some of the major obstacles to improved access from Stratford to New Hamburg have been cleared.
One, it would appear that the Ministry of Transportation has settled on a route that would swing south of Shakespeare and spare the hamlet. That only makes sense and it's rather surprising it took this long to come to that conclusion.
Another scenario, which would have seen Pork Rd. (Line 33) and possibly Vivian St. improved to highway standards to alleviate the pressure on the main highway, was rejected out of hand and a report obtained by The Beacon Herald last week gave some reasonable explanations.
The premise would have been to make Pork Rd. and Vivian St. one-way roads with one having two lanes east, the other two lanes west.
The logistical challenges were cited as one of the main obstacles and that is a valid point. A farmer who wants to go 100 metres west but is on the east-only road would have to go around a country block to get to the neighbours or even to his adjoining farm property.
Plowing five lanes through Shakespeare made no sense, but making people go five miles to get next door is not much better. The structure of the roads was also cited, and they are, in their present form at least, certainly secondary roads in both construction and design.
Widening those roads and bringing them up to snuff would not only have required extensive improvements to the road but it would have required buying property from current landowners along Vivian St. and Pork Rd.
All that was deemed fiscally prohibitive.
That would appear to have been the first time money was seen as a factor in these plans.
Also of note, the province has purchased Lingelbach United Church which sits just a few metres to the north of the highway between Shakespeare and New Hamburg.
That means that when the highway is widened it can move slightly to the north and miss both the cemetery and the Fryfogel Inn, which are on the south side.
So with some of the major obstacles out of the way one is left to wonder just when this grand construction project will begin. Well, given that the expansion of this highway has been talked about for more than 30 years, one wonders. And the document obtained by The Beacon Herald cites projected traffic volumes in 2031 as a basis for choosing the preferred route.
So, as much as both the new and old routes have caused a lot of angst, it would appear the arrival of bulldozers and earthmovers along Highway 7/8 isn't exactly imminent.
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Lingelbach United Church Sold
by Laura Cudworth Beacon Herald Staff Reporter
Lingelbach United Church has been sold to the province. The deal closed Thursday. Trustee Lorne Fink declined to say how much the province paid but did say the money would go back to United Church projects. more......
Lingelbach United Church has been sold to the province. The deal closed Thursday. Trustee Lorne Fink declined to say how much the province paid but did say the money would go back to United Church projects. more......
Thursday, January 20, 2011
MTO Opts for the Path of Least Resistance
Editorial
When it to comes to the greatest dilemmas perhaps there are just no right answers.
And so it is with the expansion of Hwy. 7/8 from Stratford to New Hamburg.
The notion or driving four or five lanes through the heart of the hamlet of Shakespeare is beyond absurd but for a while, that was the preferred path.
And so it is with the expansion of Hwy. 7/8 from Stratford to New Hamburg.
The notion or driving four or five lanes through the heart of the hamlet of Shakespeare is beyond absurd but for a while, that was the preferred path.
Sanity has prevailed and according to details released Monday night the preferred path now swings just south of Shakespeare and heads into the south end of Stratford along Pork St.
Saving Shakespeare was the motivation for the citizens' groups, protests, signs and yellow ribbons, so it would appear the prime objective has been reached.
Saving Shakespeare was the motivation for the citizens' groups, protests, signs and yellow ribbons, so it would appear the prime objective has been reached.
But others will argue that ripping up hundreds, possibly thousands of acres of some of the best farmland in the world is not much better. Regardless, the new path will certainly be viewed as the lesser of two evils by most -- unless of course you are one of the farmers who now sees the prospect of having his farm cut in half by a freeway.
For those farmers it now becomes hard to plan, plant, build or refinance when the expansion of the highway hangs over their collective heads like the sword of Damocles. But if the highway has to expand, and that seems to be a conclusion that most have resigned themselves to, then it has to go somewhere.
Logic would dictate that it needs to take a route that will have the least amount of negative impact. To that end, Shakespeare was off the table and enter the rural route.
The other fly in the ointment is the presence of three significant historical sites. The Fryfogel Inn of course along with the Lingelbach church and cemetery.
It has been stated many times that it may be years, possibly decades before the province tackles this project in earnest. On the other hand, the process has to start somewhere and defining a path is the obvious first step. Now that we move closer to that stage we can draw two conclusions from this elongated process.
On one hand, it's hard to believe, almost disconcerting, that anyone ever considered going through Shakespeare as a remotely viable option. Conversely, it's somewhat comforting to see that the decision makers could be swayed not only by protests and opposition, but by some common sense as well.
The affected farming community will be upset by the new path, and rightfully so, but there's no question, the new route beats the alternative.
Article ID# 2936887
Article ID# 2936887
New Route Avoids Towns Eats Farms
By LAURA CUDWORTH STAFF REPORTER -Stratford Beeacon Herald Jan. 18th, 2011
Shakespeare will be spared but some historical sites and Perth East farmland will fall victim to an expanded highway.
The Ministry of Transportation unveiled the route that the new multi-lane highway likely will take at a public meeting at the Shakespeare and District Optimist Hall Monday night. There will be another meeting tonight from 4 to 9 p.m.
The route follows Hwy. 7/8 until about 2.5 kilometres east of Shakespeare. It dips south and follows the train tracks and eventually veers further south through a bush lot and farmland, then follows a municipal drain before it connects with Line 33 or Pork Rd., where it bypasses Stratford.
It was a relief for many residents to see the highway move south of Shakespeare. There was a strong lobby by village residents after some proposals had five lanes go right through the centre of the community.
"I'm very happy to see the MTO has found a way of bypassing the village," said Dave Cole, chairperson of Shakespeare Area Residents Association.
"The key is to make sure the smallest number of people are impacted. I believe this is a step in the right direction."
Though Cole was happy the route doesn't go through Shakespeare, he said he does feel for those who will be affected by the highway. Some of those will be farmers. Land will be eaten up when the highway follows 7/8 and more will be affected when it dips to the south. Gary West's property won't be touched by the new route, but he was left wondering how farmers who are affected will manage.
"It's going to be tough if you have to move machinery from one side (of the highway) to the other," he said. He wondered if combines and other heavy equipment would be allowed on the new highway at all.
The Agriculture Business Community of Perth East, Perth South and Wilmot West has 300 members and has been well organized and actively advocating to protect as much farmland as possible.
Sharon Weitzel wasn't prepared to speak for the group immediately after seeing the plan last night.
"We have a large membership that needs to digest this," she said. "All I can say is it goes through a lot of farmland."
History buffs have some concerns about the plan, too. The highway expansion goes past the Fryfogel Inn as well as Lingelbach cemetery and church. All of those properties are already close to the road. "It's not very positive. I'm sure we'll direct some concerns to the Ministry of Transportation," said Ian Taylor, a member of the Perth County Historical Foundation.
He also had concerns about the impact on the railway if the Canadian National Railway wants to expand the tracks.
Charles Organ, MTO project manager, said the ministry could mitigate the impact on the Fryfogel Inn by expanding on the north side. "We recognize the historical significance of the Fryfogel Inn and respect that and we'll factor that in as the study moves on," he said.
Organ called the Lingelbach Church and cemetery a pinch point.
"We tend to steer away from cemeteries," he said, though the impact on the church would also be looked at. Organ said there was positive feedback at the meeting and unless new and significant information comes forward, the process will likely move to the next stage, which is a preliminary design.
For his part, Cole is satisfied with the process. "I do believe the system works. The MTO asked for feedback-- every time we answered and we were heard," he said.
After tonight's meeting, the ministry will be accepting more feedback.
The next meeting is scheduled for late spring and another in late 2011 will focus on the preferred preliminary design. The study should be complete by 2012.
lcudworth@bowesnet.com
Shakespeare will be spared but some historical sites and Perth East farmland will fall victim to an expanded highway.
The Ministry of Transportation unveiled the route that the new multi-lane highway likely will take at a public meeting at the Shakespeare and District Optimist Hall Monday night. There will be another meeting tonight from 4 to 9 p.m.
The route follows Hwy. 7/8 until about 2.5 kilometres east of Shakespeare. It dips south and follows the train tracks and eventually veers further south through a bush lot and farmland, then follows a municipal drain before it connects with Line 33 or Pork Rd., where it bypasses Stratford.
It was a relief for many residents to see the highway move south of Shakespeare. There was a strong lobby by village residents after some proposals had five lanes go right through the centre of the community.
"I'm very happy to see the MTO has found a way of bypassing the village," said Dave Cole, chairperson of Shakespeare Area Residents Association.
"The key is to make sure the smallest number of people are impacted. I believe this is a step in the right direction."
Though Cole was happy the route doesn't go through Shakespeare, he said he does feel for those who will be affected by the highway. Some of those will be farmers. Land will be eaten up when the highway follows 7/8 and more will be affected when it dips to the south. Gary West's property won't be touched by the new route, but he was left wondering how farmers who are affected will manage.
"It's going to be tough if you have to move machinery from one side (of the highway) to the other," he said. He wondered if combines and other heavy equipment would be allowed on the new highway at all.
The Agriculture Business Community of Perth East, Perth South and Wilmot West has 300 members and has been well organized and actively advocating to protect as much farmland as possible.
Sharon Weitzel wasn't prepared to speak for the group immediately after seeing the plan last night.
"We have a large membership that needs to digest this," she said. "All I can say is it goes through a lot of farmland."
History buffs have some concerns about the plan, too. The highway expansion goes past the Fryfogel Inn as well as Lingelbach cemetery and church. All of those properties are already close to the road. "It's not very positive. I'm sure we'll direct some concerns to the Ministry of Transportation," said Ian Taylor, a member of the Perth County Historical Foundation.
He also had concerns about the impact on the railway if the Canadian National Railway wants to expand the tracks.
Charles Organ, MTO project manager, said the ministry could mitigate the impact on the Fryfogel Inn by expanding on the north side. "We recognize the historical significance of the Fryfogel Inn and respect that and we'll factor that in as the study moves on," he said.
Organ called the Lingelbach Church and cemetery a pinch point.
"We tend to steer away from cemeteries," he said, though the impact on the church would also be looked at. Organ said there was positive feedback at the meeting and unless new and significant information comes forward, the process will likely move to the next stage, which is a preliminary design.
For his part, Cole is satisfied with the process. "I do believe the system works. The MTO asked for feedback-- every time we answered and we were heard," he said.
After tonight's meeting, the ministry will be accepting more feedback.
The next meeting is scheduled for late spring and another in late 2011 will focus on the preferred preliminary design. The study should be complete by 2012.
lcudworth@bowesnet.com
The MTO Answers Some Questions
Recently the MTO finally responded to our first letter challenging some of the information they sent us. Below is the second letter we received from the regional office. ABC is not entirely happy with this letter either and will continue to press the issue.
PAGE 1
Ministry Response Letter Dec 2010
PAGE 2
Ministry Response Letter Dec 2010 Pg 2
PAGE 1
Ministry Response Letter Dec 2010
PAGE 2
Ministry Response Letter Dec 2010 Pg 2
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