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
Monday, October 24, 2011
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.
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