More questions

Dear editor:
I, as well as the taxpayers of Fort Frances, would desire to see the [town] budget to be a bit more transparent.
An item of concern is the resulting condition of Front Street, its surface drainage condition, and attitude towards repairs to same.
When the CNR undertook to haul the stone rip-rap materials, with heavy earth-moving trucks, someone in our town was involved in the permission to do so.
Was there not an agreement to undertake the repairs of the route? Were costs agreed or paid by the CNR?
Yes, they had an emergency undertaking to allow them to continue operating the railroad pipeline safely—and at a great profit. However, the water table was high and the route of the trucks on Front Street caused some damage.
In the block where the Witherspoon drain is located, the subsoil of the road was very fluid. The trucks bounced merrily along with resulting waves and cracking of the road bed, with some damage to the drain pipes of the street cisterns occurring.
During the last non-frost rain, the resulting water pond on the road was eight-10 fee wide (and lesser amounts on the whole 1100 block).
Yes, the cistern and curbs are now higher than the roads and don’t drain. Vehicles driving through the ponds throw a curtain of water up on the lawns and into the homeowners’ yards to deal with.
We feel it is important for those matters to be budgeted and dealt with.
We also would like to hear how the town dealt with the CNR!
Respectfully yours,
John Steinke
Fort Frances, Ont.