A major roadblock has been thrown in front of Alberton’s attempt to impose a lower speed limit on Frog Creek Road, council learned at last Wednesday’s regular meeting.
Alberton council has been notified that the Ministry of Transportation will not permit the township to arbitrarily post lower speed limit signs on the east-west road that marks its northern boundary until various criteria have been met.
Township clerk Dawn Hayes advised council that since only part of the road lies within Alberton’s jurisdiction, council cannot make changes without the approval of the MTO and the unorganized municipality of Miscampbell, which both share jurisdiction.
According to the MTO, Hayes said, Alberton only could erect lower speed limit signs on its own side (south) of the road, which only would affect eastbound traffic.
And since neither the MTO nor Miscampbell have shown any interest in co-operating, the lower speed limit may have to be scrapped.
That news prompted Coun. Mike Ford to note there now may be a liability issue if there’s another serious accident on Frog Creek Road.
“I guess it’s just going to take somebody getting killed to do something,” he remarked. “If we’re going to be held liable for what happens on that road, we should have control of it.”
There already has been at least one fatal accident on Frog Creek Road, which not only is a popular alternative to King’s Highway, but also sees a significant amount of commercial heavy-truck traffic.
Hayes suggested a new survey might help determine exactly where the township’s boundary lies before moving forward.
Council has put the matter over for the time being.
Also last Wednesday, Roads superintendent Larry George gave his annual spring report on road conditions in the township and, for the most part, it was good news.
George said there was very little winter damage and most of the new road signs are up. He said the culverts appear to be in good shape and he even was able to do some work on the shoulders of Frog Creek Road.
He recommended council bring in a consultant from the Ontario Good Roads Association before deciding on what kind of dust suppressant the township purchases for the summer.
He then invited councillors to take a road tour with him to see for themselves the condition of the roads and determine which ones require maintenance.
Alberton Reeve Mike Hammond then gave a report on the Minnesota/Ontario Emergency Management exercise he attended at the Holiday Inn in International Falls on March 18.
He said the exercise was a valuable learning experience and indicated the Americans have put considerable effort into meeting a disaster at the border.
“There were about 50 people there from their side and it was well-organized until the ‘train wreck.’ Then things got a little out of control,” he remarked.
The mock emergency involved simultaneous fires in La Vallee and Little Fork, followed by a derailment on the Ranier bridge of a train carrying hazardous materials.
Reeve Hammond noted since the session was partly sponsored by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, American officials appeared to be focused more on acts of terrorism than natural disasters.
“I’d like to see more focus on natural disasters because that’s what’s more likely to happen over here,” he said.
Reeve Hammond also said some confusion resulted because senior emergency response officials wanted to be on the scene personally instead of directing operations from a central command post.
Nonetheless, the exercise was a worthwhile experience since it revealed potential problems in the plan, he concluded.
Coun. Barb Cournoyer then gave a report from the special meeting of the Rainy River District Social Services Administration Board on March 1.
She informed council that the DSSAB has managed to hold the municipal levy increase to one percent, but noted it was necessary to dip into surplus funds to hold that line.
She expressed concerns about future increases if costs could not be cut.
“I don’t know what they’re going to do next year or the year after,” Coun. Cournoyer warned. “They can’t keep drawing on the surplus.”
Reeve Hammond and Coun. Louis Collier also attended a meeting March 31 in Fort Frances regarding the future of Rainycrest Home for the Aged. Coun. Collier said privatization of some services was one of the items discussed, though no decisions have been made yet.
“They talked about the privatization issue, but they want to talk to the unions about concessions first,” he reported. “We might have a two-tiered system.
In other business last Wednesday, Alberton council:
•approved a resolution to pay an outstanding account of $125,300;
•passed a bylaw regarding mutual aid in the event of an emergency outside the municipality requiring the services of some of Alberton’s emergency personnel (under the previous bylaw, only the fire chief was permitted to do so);
•agreed to make a $250 donation to the Alberton Central School closing ceremony and picnic in June;
•passed a resolution to amend a zoning bylaw regarding use designation in the south end of the municipality;
•agreed to purchase six copies of the Councillor Development and Training manual at a cost of $35 each; and
•supported a resolution from the Township of Terrace Bay requesting the provincial government address the discriminatory admission policies of the Thunder Bay Regional Sciences Centre.
The next regular meeting of Alberton council is scheduled for May 12 at 7 p.m. in the municipal office.
Fort Frances Times
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