Highway signs to identify where Alberton Township begins and ends are in the works, Coun. Barb Cournoyer said at council’s regular monthly meeting last Wednesday night.
“This would fall in line with our strategic planning [for community development],” she noted. “I don’t like the idea of not having a sign to show who we are.”
Given the new pavilion planned for the millennium park and skating rink now under construction at the site of the former Crozier Hall, Coun. Cournoyer said the time is ripe for such an addition—and important to a sense of pride within the community.
“We’re Fort Frances to a lot of people, that’s how it’s perceived,” agreed Coun. Mike Ford. “We have no identity.
“We’re Alberton and we should be proud of it,” he added.
The aim is to petition property owners to rent the space to put up the signs, which hopefully will be done by next spring.
Also last Wednesday, council discussed Alberton’s possible involvement in the handi-van plan being spearheaded by Emo.
Emo recently lost access to a handi-van that took a few local children to school. As such, council there wrote to other area townships in hopes of obtaining a regional handi-van, with the cost divided accordingly.
Reeve Mike Hammond said Alberton had three options regarding the handi-van service. One, they could join the district in the plan, which would serve a larger area, but also would mean the van would have more wear on it.
As well, there would be time limitations due to the need of the children in Emo to use it for school hours.
Reeve Hammond said this option would mean a high cost for a low service rendered.
The second option would be to adopt a stand-alone system, in which Alberton would rent a handicap-accessible van from North Air, which would break down to $20 for a one-way trip into Fort Frances or $40 for a round trip.
This service could provide outings, such as a trip to Safeway for Seniors’ Day and perhaps a stop at Wal-Mart on the way back.
This option would prove less costly for the community, but council was unsure if there would be enough local interest to warrant the move.
The third option would be to do nothing.
Ultimately, Alberton council decided that joining forces with Emo would not be cost-effective for the township, and that the school board should make alternate arrangements to transport the disabled children to school.
Instead, council opted to use its upcoming newsletter to inform the community of the possibility of a local handi-van service and to gauge if there would be any interest in the endeavour.
“I think it would be a courtesy to the senior members of our municipality,” said Reeve Hammond.
Also on the agenda last Wednesday was the zoning non-compliance issue regarding Claude Jodoin and the site of his office for C.J. Contracting.
For the past five years, Jodoin has been using a mobile home as his office, parked on land that he has been renting, which he now has an offer in to buy.
The issue, said council, is that the bylaw states that a mobile home may only be kept in a park specifically zoned for mobile homes.
But Jodoin did his homework, and quoted the related bylaw, section 3.10 entitled Mobile Homes, that reads, “Mobile homes may be used as dwelling units only in a mobile home park.”
His argument was that he is not using it as a dwelling unit, and that it is not equipped with bathroom facilities or running water.
“It doesn’t say anything about using them as an office or about any other uses other than a mobile home,” said Jodoin. “I don’t agree with having to move it now after it has been set up there for five years to use for that purpose.”
Council is concerned that if they allow Jodoin to keep his trailer there, others will want to do the same, and that the reason they hadn’t confronted the issue before is because they thought it was just being stored there.
“We’re not trying to force you out, we’re just trying to abide by some bylaws that were in place long before this council was here,” said Coun. Doug Mitchell.
“If you’re going by the law, you can’t really tell me to move out unless you’re going to go making new laws,” contested Jodoin.
Jodoin added he has an offer in to buy the property, which likely would go through within the next six months, and that eventually he would like to build an office there.
Jodoin said after the meeting that he’ll go to the next level of government to fight it, if necessary.
“In the end, I’ll have to get a permit, ideally,” he said outside of council. “And then it would be all done after spending countless hours of taxpayers’ money and wasting everybody’s time.”
No final decision was made at last Wednesday’s meeting, but the issue will be re-visited when council next meets Aug. 11 at 7 p.m.
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
