Lanark County Media Release - November 9, 2022

For immediate release Nov. 9, 2022

Here are the highlights from the Lanark County Council meeting held Nov. 9, 2022.

Blakeney Bridge Remedial Work To Begin: Council passed a motion approving an expenditure of about $41,000 for repairs to the Blakeney Bridge in Mississippi Mills in an effort to prevent a load restriction. The remedial work is scheduled to begin on Monday, Nov. 14, and the bridge will be closed for two weeks to accommodate the repairs.

As a precaution, council also authorized a by-law amendment to reduce the load posting for the bridge from 12 tonnes to five tonnes if necessary. A motion further directs staff to hold a public information centre with residents prior to issuing a request for proposals on a design for a replacement bridge, which is currently a single-lane structure.

At the public works committee meeting last month, Public Works Manager Sean Derouin explained Blakeney Bridge is deteriorating as it nears the end of its service life. Inspections by Keystone Bridge Management determined some components are in poor condition and nearing failure, and they recommended reducing the load posting to 5 tonnes and replacing the bridge as soon as possible.

Derouin outlined possible options and costs for the bridge replacement (i.e., single lane versus two lanes) and indicated a heritage impact assessment is required and underway to determine if there is cultural heritage value for the bridge. A single-lane bridge is estimated to cost about $2.5 million, while a two-lane structure would be between $5 million and $8 million.

“The county will consult with the public and will propose a final design width to county council at a later date for approval,” he said. The county has also been consulting with Mississippi Mills public works staff regarding the replacement structure and is researching available grants for the project. For more information, contact Sean Derouin, Public Works Manager, at 1-888-9-LANARK, ext. 3194.

Procedural By-law Amended: Council has approved amendments to its procedural by-law that include changes to the inaugural meeting process, as well as the implementation of a land acknowledgement at the start of council meetings. A public notice period for the by-law amendment was held.

At previous corporate services committee meetings, Clerk Jasmin Ralph provided an overview of the various changes. The inaugural meeting process was revised in 2020 and council directed staff to revisit the process earlier this year. The new procedure allows for a hybrid appointment process in non-municipal election years and adjusts particulars of the inaugural meeting itself, such as speaking time allotments for nominees and the day on which the meeting is held.

The amended by-law also includes the addition of a traditional land acknowledgement statement at the beginning of regular council meetings. Council approved specific wording separately in June, which can be updated or changed without requiring further procedural by-law amendments.

Warden John Fenik (Perth Mayor) said the statement is a reminder to continue to strengthen the relationships and understanding between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples. “Land acknowledgement statements are an important part of reconciliation. They aim to recognize traditional or treaty territories of Indigenous peoples, and to respect and honour the land, treaties, original occupants, ancestors and their historic connection to the it.”

For more information, contact Jasmin Ralph, Clerk, at 1-888-9-LANARK, ext. 1502.

Community Safety and Well-Being Plan Progress Highlighted: Council accepted an information report that provided an update regarding its Community Safety and Well-being (CSWB) Plan, the Lanark County Situation Table (LCST) and other collaborative projects that form part of an overall community safety model.

At the community services committee meeting held Wednesday evening, Stephanie Gray, CSWB and LCST coordinator, provided an overview of progress on the model for Lanark County and Smiths Falls, which was spearheaded in late 2015 and strives to identify root causes of harm in the community. The situation table acts as a tool to help provide immediate help to people who are at an elevated risk of harm, while the CSWB plan contains strategies to help mitigate the root causes.

Since it began in December 2015, the situation table has had almost 300 referrals, with more than two dozen agencies participating. Mental health, criminal involvement and addictions continue to be top risk factors. “Referrals increased in complexity during the pandemic, with housing and poverty become more prevalent risks,” Gray said.

The province mandated municipalities to complete CSWB plans by July 2021, but Gray noted Lanark County and Smiths Falls undertook and completed the community initiative before it was mandated, with the county-wide plan approved by local municipalities in 2018 and 2019. Multiple sector representatives are part of the CSWB advisory committee. As part of the consultation process, 12 risk areas were identified and strategies were developed in each. “It is a living document that has evolved, and annual reports show the progress in those areas,” Gray said.

Other projects that have been sparked through the community safety model have included the Mobile Crisis Response Team (a mental health crisis response partnership between Lanark County OPP and Lanark County Mental Health) and the victim advocate program (a system navigation partnership for sexual assault/domestic violence victims between Lanark County Interval House and Lanark County OPP). Networking, training and mentorship are key components.

“We have had excellent engagement and a desire for continued collaboration and more ‘upstream’ help for people through this model,” Gray said, thanking council for its support and advocacy efforts over the years. “We will keep moving forward and looking for ways to make things better – we can’t do it alone.”