Keep away from biomass site: McCaig

Portage Avenue, from Sinclair Street to Church Street, and Sinclair from Victoria Avenue to Portage Avenue, were closed to all public use and parking as of early January due to construction at the biomass boiler site.
But not everyone seems to be acknowledging this as trespassing seems to be a continuing problem—and both the town and mill want it to stop.
Fort Frances CAO Mark McCaig said at Monday night’s council meeting that he spoke recently to mill manager John Harrison, who expressed concern about pedestrian and vehicular traffic in the closed-off portions of Portage Avenue and Sinclair Street.
“John’s concerns are that, from a liability standpoint of the mill and the given the operations that are taking place with the steel and cranes and everything, there’s a very real possibility of injuries to occur,” McCaig remarked.
“There’s not only vehicles that are going through there. It’s people walking and running,” he added.
“The public should be aware that it’s a work site area. You should really not be in there,” McCaig explained. “It is private property—a portion of those streets have been transferred over to Abitibi.
“Please stay out of that area,” he stressed. “Nothing good can come out of travelling near the structure for those who aren’t qualified personnel.”
Only mill deliveries are permitted to use this portion of the roadway on the south and west sides of the biomass site.
The biomass boiler is expected to be operational this fall.
Meanwhile, with the town working through its 2008 budget, Coun. Sharon Tibbs noted that, according to a recent communiqué of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario, Ontarians pay an average of $237 more in property taxes than residents of any other province.
“We often talk about our high taxes and low taxes, but this is a situation across the province,” she remarked, noting almost half of every dollar municipalities collect for property taxes goes back to the province for social services, public health care, and other “uncontrollable costs.”
“It kind of makes you think. It’s a reality check,” added Coun. Tibbs.