Ministry seeks comments on Campbellford bridge
Construction work on Trent River requires federal approval
Northumberland County is moving ahead slowly with the planning for the new Trent River bridge in Campbellford.
The final design, which was due in 2024, has not yet been released, but this week the county noted that the federal transport ministry is seeking comments on the county’s application for construction approval since the river is protected under the Canadian Navigable Waters Act.
The detailed application is available here. The county applied for approval on Aug. 15, 2024, but the transport ministry just posted its notice on Feb. 2. You can comment on the proposal here until March 8. You can also comment in writing at Navigation Protection Program – Transport Canada, 100 S Front St, 1st Floor, Sarnia ON, N7T 2M4.
The county has said it hopes construction will start this year and be completed by 2027. In its transport ministry application, the county suggested the project might not be completed until 2031. The next step in the process is completion of the final plan, which will allow the county to seek tenders from contractors. The bids will determine the cost of the new bridge and timing for construction.
Negotiations are continuing with homeowners on Second Street whose places will be expropriated to make room for the new bridge.
Campbellford arena land to be sold
At its meeting on Tuesday, Trent Hills council will consider a recommendation to declare that the municipality does not need the site of the now closed Campbellford arena and the parking lot to the south.
Declaring it surplus to municipal needs is the first step in offering it for sale.
A report to council by Planning Director Jim Peters says that staff met with members of the Campbellford Seymour Agricultural Society “to gauge their interest in the property as they own the adjacent property.” The society said it was not interested in purchasing the property but would like to use the space for the 2025 fair, if possible.
The report says the ice plant in the arena will be decommissioned this spring and the space is not needed for recreational uses.
Peters recommends that the municipality seek requests for proposals from potential purchasers, the same process it used for the sale of the Hastings arena.
Home sales, prices rose in January
Home prices and sales were both higher in January than a year ago, but prices were down from the average and median in all of 2024, according to the Central Lakes Association of Realtors.
The market has slowed with homes taking more than twice as long to sell.
Last month in Trent Hills, 13 homes sold with a median price of $499,900 and an average of $528,262. In January 2024, eight homes sold with a median price of $444,688 and an average of $487,409.
For all of 2024, 213 homes sold with a median price of $579,900 and an average of $642,843.
There were 34 new listings during January and 77 active listings at the end of the month. Homes are selling in 73 days on average.
The market has slowed dramatically from a year ago. In January 2024 there were also 34 new listings, but only 39 active listings and homes sold in 34 days, less than half the time homes are currently on the market.
“Number of sales are up in almost all of our regions, compared to last, indicating a strong start to 2025,” said Vicki Sweeney, president of the realtors’ association. “With the recent tariff announcements, we will be engaging with all levels of government to address the potential spin-off impact on the housing market.”
In Northumberland County, the average price declined to $639,707 from $709,097 in January 2024, with sales decreasing slightly from 82 to 79. However, active listings saw a notable increase of 27 per cent year over year.
You can read all Trent Hills News stories on the website here.
Is the present bridge going to remain or is there eventually only going to be one bridge? We really need two bridges with all the proposed development in this small town and the surrounding area...thanks