THE
SERVING THE MAPLETON COMMUNITY
COMMUNITY NEWS Volume 48 Issue 39
Drayton, Ontario
1 Year GIC - 1.99% 3 Year GIC - 2.21% 5 Year GIC - 2.30% Daily Interest 1.00%
638-3328
Friday, September 25, 2015
www.jackfinancial.ca
Mud flooding damaging properties; bylaw officer told to investigate by Patrick Raftis MAPLETON - Council has directed the township’s bylaw officer to investigate concerns from Kumpville Drive West residents about mud flooding onto their properties from a neighbouring farm. Kathy Pehlke and Roger Hartung attended the Sept. 8 meeting to provide information on the issue. A letter from Pehlke and Hartung states that topsoil erosion regularly washes down the hill from a farm behind their property “filling up our ditches and culverts, washing out our road and, as a result, flooding basements and garages.� Pehlke told council, “We’ve dug out our ditches with tractors and backhoes at our own expense only to have them fill
in again.� She said the ditches and culverts could normally handle typical rain fall levels, “but only if they’re free of mud.� Pehlke said the residents have been told the concern didn’t meet the township’s requirements for a property standards complaint. “We just know we can’t afford to be digging ditches every week and cleaning up mud that comes from a neighbouring property,� she said. Councillor Marlene Ottens asked “was there a change in what the farmer had been doing on that field this year?� Pehlke said the problem is the land is rented out and not worked by the owner. Pehlke told council, “Her answer to us (was) she wasn’t aware this
was happening - ‘I’m a city girl I know nothing about that - I have no money to do anything.’� Pehlke said GRCA officials have suggested it would help to leave a portion of the field losing the topsoil fallow, and there may be a grant available for tree planting on the property “The cost of putting land into fallow is a lot cheaper than losing all that topsoil,� observed Mayor Neil Driscoll. “Right now we don’t have a lot of feet to stand on that we could do anything with that farmer.� Driscoll suggested the citizens continue to work with the GRCA toward a solution. Meanwhile council directed staff to have the bylaw officer investigate.
Testing shows illegal hookups not major source of excess water by Patrick Raftis DRAYTON - A smoke testing program in sanitary sewers here identified some sources of stormwater infiltration, but generally indicated the system is in fairly good shape. In June, Mapleton council awarded a contract to provide smoke testing services to Cole Engineering Group Limited for $15,500 plus HST. The action was a response to the discovery of excess flows during peak run-off
events that result in excess water being delivered to the wastewater lagoon system, affecting capacity. The program involved using smoke machines or canisters to generate non-toxic, odourless and non-staining smoke for the testing. The perimeter of each residence or commercial building was inspected, front and back, for sources of smoke. The roofs of each building were visually inspected for evidence of roof drains connected
to sanitary drains. Public works director Brad McRoberts reported at the Sept. 8 council meeting the testing “did identify some discharges� from service laterals. “We’ll have some conversations with some property owners,� he stated. However, he noted, the testing did not reveal a great deal of infiltration in the system. “Based on the smoke testing, our system is in pretty good shape,� he stated.
Portions of local walking trail to be closed during river dredging
35th Terry Fox Run raises over $24,000 A total of 194 participants raised more than $24,000 at the 35th anniversary Terry Fox Run in Drayton on Sept. 20, with donations still coming in. TOP: Louise Ellis, run coordinator, gets the event started as volunteers cut the ribbon. From left: Ellis, Meagan Moore, Theresa Scholten, Marilyn Riff, Linda Dickieson, Krysten Franklin, Mary Downey, Carol Williams and Dale Franklin. MIDDLE LEFT: Mary Lou Fletcher (with Austin), Martin Tamlin and Lori Albrecht walked the 10km course. MIDDLE RIGHT: Norma Watson, 92, walked in memory of her husband, Jack, who passed away in 1985 of cancer. ABOVE: Four generations of the Mensinga family walked, ran and biked in the Terry Fox Run this year, including Steve and Jackie and daughters Jessica and Stephanie, who have participated for the last 11 years. Online giving continues and corporate donations are still welcome (to be directed to Ellis). To donate online visit www.terryfox.org (click on “sponsor a participant� then “support a community run�). For more information or to donate in person call Ellis at 519-638-2120. More coverage on pages 4 and 6. photos by Amanda Belec Newton
Main St. W. Palmerston
VACATION TIMES: Friday and Saturday 8pm and Sunday 7pm. Rated 14A & 99 mins.
Check out our website it’s now moblie friendly!!
For more info call 519-343-3640 or visit www.norgantheatre.com
DRAYTON - The Grand River Conservation Authority’s (GRCA) rehabilitation of the 500-metre section of the Conestogo River in Drayton was to begin this week. The GRCA said the work must be carried out during a period of low flow in the river, which may affect the timing and total duration of the project. It is expected the project will be completed by mid to late October. The GRCA board awarded the contract for the work through a tender process to R&M Construction, in the amount of $258,431, at its Aug. 28 meeting. During the construction period, the section of the trail that runs along the Conestogo River from Main Street to Mill Street will be closed to the public for
Weekly Wag
challenge The biggest ing today. o d m I’ r e v te is wha ck - Mike Babco
access by work equipment and for public safety. Barriers will be placed at both ends of the trail. The work will be carried out in two phases: upstream and then downstream of Main Street. The work upstream of Main Street will be accessed through the fire hall parking lot, while the work downstream will be accessed via the end of Mill Street. The rehabilitation project will consist of the removal of coarse sediments that have accumulated along the channel, and removal of trees along the dyke. The trees to be removed are primarily Manitoba maple, many of which were damaged in the ice storm in 2014. “The removal of the trees is necessary to ensure the maintenance and continued function
of the dyke,� the GRCA stated in a press release. “The work will provide reduction of nuisance flooding levels in the upstream portions of the town.� Ecosystem Recovery Inc. developed the design and tender for the project, which will be carried out entirely out of the “wetted low flow portion� of the river channel, due to the presence of rainbow mussels, which are protected as an endangered species at risk under both federal and provincial legislation. Funding for this project has been included in the GRCA’s water control structures maintenance budgets, and the province will match the funding through its Water and Erosion Control Infrastructure (WECI) program.
'5$<7216725$*( FRP ,QGLYLGXDO 6WRUDJH 8QLWV Individual Storage Units [ [ [ [ 5x10 10x10 10x15 10x20 6HDVRQDO ERDWV FDUV 59V ODZQ WUDFWRUV Seasonal VXPPHU ZLQWHU WLUH VWRUDJH boats, cars, RVs, lawn tractors, summer/winter tire storage