Outdoor pool decision won’t be rescinded
Outdoor pool decision won’t be rescinded
Petition and presentation fail to sway councillors
Elizabeth Terrell got her day before council, but despite her best efforts to persuade the councillors to save the outdoor pool, in the end they said no.
When Terrell learned last month that the outdoor pool on Ranney Street North was closing permanently at the end of the season, she launched an online petition to garner support to convince the councillors, who voted February to close it, that they should change their minds.
In a presentation to council on Tuesday, Terrell talked about the support for the outdoor pool, its importance to many residents, and the lack of consultation with the community.
The petition now has 509 signatures calling for Trent Hills to rescind its motion.
“Put it on the 2026 ballot as a referendum,” Terrell asked.
Deputy Mayor Mike Metcalf said he had moved the motion to close the pool, and he saw no reason to change his mind. He listed the engineering reports done in 2005, 2007, and 2023, that all said the cost of repairing the 50-year-old pool would be too high.
“We would have to spend a few million dollars to get it to be usable,” Metcalf said.
“We’d be throwing good money after bad to resurrect the pool,” said Councillor Dennis Savery.
Metcalf noted that the park is going to be maintained, despite fears posted on Facebook that it might be sold.
Director of Community Services Peter Burnett said the recreation department has plans to improve the park and has been looking at new playground equipment to replace the dangerous swing set that was removed. But he noted that any improvements would have to be funded in the capital budget.
One bylaw down, hundreds to go
Trent Hills council has repealed the bylaw regulating taxis and limousines in the municipality, opening to door to ride-sharing services such as Uber.
Several other municipalities in the area have taken similar actions and dropping the bylaw opens the door for Uber and other services to start up.
Mayor Bob Crate said he knew from his experience at the county that the ride-sharing providers want to be able to go to any of the seven municipalities in the county and not face rules in one or more.
There is currently only one cab company in Trent Hills, Deal Taxi Ltd., and it can continue operating, but it won’t have to pay the $500 a year licensing fee.
“This is a plus for us,” Crate said.
Secret is out -- Hastings Library expansion finally announced
The municipality has formally announced the badly kept secret that the Hastings Civic Centre is being transferred to the Hastings branch of Trent Hills Library.
Council approved the memorandum of understanding that shifts operational responsibility for the building from the municipality to the library board.
“This will allow the Trent Hills Library to expand its services,” said Chief Administrative Officer Lynn Phillips, who rarely speaks at council. “The building is under-utilized now, and this will permit new programming and more rentals.”
“This is a win-win,” said Deputy Mayor Mike Metcalf. “The building has been underused for years.”
An experienced observer has noted that increasing the hours the library is open will mean increased staffing and that will cost the library board more, which will ultimately be paid by the municipality. The MOU doesn’t mention the extra cost of extra hours.
Sweet parking deal for Blommer Chocolate
When Blommer Chocolate applied for a building permit so it can expand and provide more jobs, the planners spotted a problem. The site didn’t have enough space to provide the parking required for manufacturing businesses under the town’s bylaw.
The location, which has been the site of chocolate making since 1958, currently has 70 parking spaces, but the bylaw said it should have 201 plus another 23 when the expansion is built for a total of 224. Blommer’s had proposed adding 30 new spaces to make the total 100.
But on closer examination, Planner Cameron Law discovered that the town’s bylaw required more parking spaces than most other municipalities in the area.
Law’s report to council explained that while reducing the number of parking spots from a required 224 to 100 might seem like a major change it was really a minor variance.
He explained in detail that minor is not a mathematical concept for planners, they are more concerned about adverse impacts, and this has none.
Councillor Rob Pope said he hoped that the expansion doesn’t result in 20 or 30 cars parked on Second Street and neighbouring streets. (As a resident of Second Street, I heartily agree.)
In the end, council agreed that 100 is minor, when compared to 224, and the variance was approved by the committee of adjustment.
All is not lost. Perhaps the council will realize that they are not telling the rate payers the facts that they are making their decisions on. It only since Art you have stared your newspaper that we are learning about their decisions. I hope they will realize that the Nappan Island bridge an pedestrian walkway left the ratepayers paying 1.7 million on our taxes. Now the causeway on McCann Island, I hope they don,t decide to widen it so pedestrians can get to the pedestrian walkway. I would think they should know that Trent Severn governs the height of the water not the lower Trent. At one time Steve Stanley wanted to put addition on his workshop. Lower Trent wanted it on Stilts so if there was a flood the water could go underneath. Anyone know in the last twenty years if Trout Creek has flooded.
Too bad about the outdoor pool closure decision by Council ! Perhaps a wealthy donor may come forward or a $10 tax increase for residents would help to raise some money ..to keep it open .