The letter below was submitted to the Stratford Beacon Herald in response to an article entitled: Farmers best served by South route, published on July 25th.
The letter was subsequently published.
Showing posts with label Local Papers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Local Papers. Show all posts
Monday, August 5, 2013
Saturday, April 14, 2012
The numbers don't add up- Stratford Gazette
Wednesday, April, 11, 2012 - 11:11:43 AM
Highway 7/8 projections, numbers called into question
Jeff Heuchert, Stratford Gazette
The figures that have been presented to the public to support construction of a new Highway 7/8 don’t add up to Paul Gras.
The Perth South resident said the Ministry of Transportation and its consultants have used inaccurate data to justify a new four-lane highway between New Hamburg and Stratford.
And, he suggested, once projections around population growth and traffic volumes have been properly adjusted, the need for the project isn’t as evident.
Gras addressed members Perth County council last week, where he asked them to withdraw their support for the highway study, noting the ministry and its project team have “fallen out of acceptable levels of accuracy” and have “never proven the need (for a new highway).
“If there’s something in this deal we don’t like, politically, we have to put pressure on them and put a stop to that,” he added.
Rather than endorse the request from Gras, council agreed to send his research to the ministry for comment and to verify the accuracy of his claims.
According to Gras, the ministry anticipates Stratford’s population hitting 35,600 by 2031 – the highway’s target date. But, based on Statistics Canada’s 2011 report and the area’s growth rate, he suggested that number is likely to be around 32,390.
The ministry is also projecting about 35,000 vehicles will travel the new highway each day, and, depending on its design, the road will be able to accommodate up to 40,000 vehicles per day.
But, “with population predictions too high, these volume predictions are still high,” Gras argued, noting even with exaggerated numbers, a four-lane road would exceed traffic predictions.
Gras also questioned whether a new highway would be much safer, noting the corridor is already below the provincial average in collisions.
The ministry and its team are in the process of finalizing a preliminary design for the highway, which would run west along the existing 7/8 before dipping south to avoid Shakespeare, eventually connecting with Line 33 into Stratford.
In the summer, the ministry will hold additional public information centres to gather feedback.
But given the one-on-one nature of those meetings, Gras said he would like to see the addition of question and answer sessions. These would give the public, media and politicians an opportunity to hear all of the questions and concerns, and hold the project team more accountable, he added.
Also last week representatives from the ministry and AECOM visited Perth East council to further respond to councillors’ questions. They previously attended a county-wide meeting back on March 22.
Perth East councillor Bob McMillan said it was with “guarded optimism” that he believes there is room for future discussions between the team and municipal leaders as the project proceeds.
Numbers call everything into question
Pressure grows on MTO plan
MIKE BEITZ Staff reporter
The Beacon Herald
7 Apr 2012
A Perth South man is urging county council to help “turn back the clock” on the proposed Hwy. 7/ 8 expansion between Stratford and New Hamburg. In a presentation that leaned heavily on numbers, statistics, charts and tables, Paul Gras suggested the... read more...
MIKE BEITZ Staff reporter
The Beacon Herald
7 Apr 2012
A Perth South man is urging county council to help “turn back the clock” on the proposed Hwy. 7/ 8 expansion between Stratford and New Hamburg. In a presentation that leaned heavily on numbers, statistics, charts and tables, Paul Gras suggested the... read more...
Mike. beitz@ sunmedia. ca
The Beacon Herald
7 Apr 2012
Specifically, Gras complained about “inaccuracies” in the ministry’s numbers relating to projected population growth in Stratford, traffic volumes anticipated between Stratford and New Hamburg and collision rates along that stretch. Referring to 2011... read more...
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Monday, January 23, 2012
Stratford Beacon Article
MOT seeks farmer feedback on Hwy. 7/8 travel patterns ............
By LAURA CUDWORTH STAFF REPORTER
The Ministry of Transportation is seeking information from the agricultural community regarding farm equipment and travel patterns for farmers before starting the design phase of the Hwy. 7/8 expansion. more ....
By LAURA CUDWORTH STAFF REPORTER
The Ministry of Transportation is seeking information from the agricultural community regarding farm equipment and travel patterns for farmers before starting the design phase of the Hwy. 7/8 expansion. more ....
Letter to the Editor
The past weekend ABC had a letter to the editor published in the Stratford Beacon (Saturday Jan. 21, 2012). It is in response to an editorial in the paper.
Letter to Editor 2
Letter to Editor 2
MTO seeks highway design guidance
By LAURA CUDWORTH, Staff Reporter (Beacon Herald)
The Ministry of Transportation is seeking information from the agricultural community regarding farm equipment and travel patterns for farmers before starting the design phase of the Hwy. 7/8 expansion.
The chosen route follows Hwy. 7/8 until about 2.5 kilometres east of Shakespeare. At that point it drops south and follows the train tracks and eventually veers further south through a bush lot and farmland. It then runs along a municipal drain before it connects with Line 33 (Pork Rd.). Read MORE
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.
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
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
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
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Letters to the Editor and More!!!
PREFERRED CORRIDOR' FOR HWY. 7/8 TOO DISRUPTIVE
LATEST PLAN FOR PREFERRED ROUTE FOR HWY. 7/8 EXPANSION ALARMING
This was on the frontpage of yesterday's Beacon:
Councillors critical of corridor
LATEST PLAN FOR PREFERRED ROUTE FOR HWY. 7/8 EXPANSION ALARMING
This was on the frontpage of yesterday's Beacon:
Councillors critical of corridor
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
More Local News Items
Here are some more local media items on the corridor:
From the Beacon :
Tunnel, flyover among possible solutions?
From the Beacon Letters to the Editor:
Historic buildings, communities not disposable
From the Beacon :
Tunnel, flyover among possible solutions?
From the Beacon Letters to the Editor:
Historic buildings, communities not disposable
Sunday, July 12, 2009
HighWay Really Hits The News!
This past week, the Municipalities of Perth East, Perth South and Stratford all received their sneak peek of the Consultants' recommendation of the preferred corridor for an improved Highway 7 and 8. Below is an Editorial and several articles about the issue .
From the Stratford Beacon Herald, below are two articles and and editorial. Click on the title to read:
Farmland may be spared in proposed highway expansion
Historical society says inn off limits
A road runs through it
From the Stratford Beacon Herald, below are two articles and and editorial. Click on the title to read:
Farmland may be spared in proposed highway expansion
Historical society says inn off limits
A road runs through it
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