Tanner work goes ahead
Province surprises municipality with $3 million grant for water and sewer lines
Remember what it was like as a 15-year-old when you asked your parents for something, especially money? You had to wait for an answer, and you could never be sure when it might come.
Sometimes, if you could afford it, you just had to go ahead and spend your own money on what you needed. Imagine how shocked you were when your parents responded months later and said, “Sure, here’s the money you wanted.”
Well, the municipality of Trent Hills just had that same reaction to a delayed, but welcome, decision from its parent – Queen’s Park.
In this case, the beneficiaries will be the residents of the Tanner Road neighbourhood in Campbellford who will be getting new water and wastewater pipes, improved ditches, wider roads with curbs and paved shoulders.
I’ve written about this problem several times. My first story almost two years ago explained that the pipes installed in the 1970s were corroding faster than expected and there were frequent water leaks.
The municipality told residents, especially the chief thorn in its side, former councillor Joe Watson, that it didn’t have enough money in its budget to make the repairs. In February 2025, staff suggested the municipality apply for $4 million in provincial funding so that major upgrades could be made in the area.
But the provincial grant program kept being delayed. So, last August after the 11th watermain break, staff recommended a reduced amount of emergency repair work to deal with the continued deterioration that was leading to frequent breaks.
That emergency work was done on a section of Tanner Road and Parkview Blvd. and more was planned for this summer, with $310,000 in the capital budget.
Recently, the province surprised the municipality by agreeing to pay its full share of the original plan — $2.9 million.
Tanya Redden, Manager of Capital Works and Asset Management, said staff were really surprised by the province’s move since they assumed that since part of the work was done on an emergency basis the project no longer qualified.
But now, with the full renovation planned, the municipality had to find a way to finance its $1 million share. Redden’s report recommended using $520,000 from other provincial funding and shifting $250,000 from provincial funding that was earmarked for upgrades to Frank Street and Saskatoon Street as part of the currently stalled plans for a new bridge.
It’s interesting that while the county is spending money on home demolitions and other work in hopes it will get money for the bridge from the parents at Queen’s Park or Ottawa, Trent Hills clearly expects no positive response this year.
If necessary, the money for upgrades to Frank and Saskatoon will be put into the 2027 capital budget.
