UPDATE: Councillor Plummer Delivers Petitions & Mayor Rec’vs Letter from MTO RE: Industrial Rd (aka Hwy 625)
MANITOUWADGE, ON – During the regular meeting of council of the Township of Manitouwadge, Thursday, September 26, 2013, the agenda included correspondence to the Clerk, Ceclie Kerster, from the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario following a telephone conversation Kerster had with the MTO in regards to the Industrial Road between Manitouwadge and Greenstone (aka Hwy 625) and efforts to reach a solution in regards to ongoing maintenance of the road which is currently washed out in two places and not being maintained by any provincial ministry or other organization private or public. [CLICK : Pg18-21-MTOLetter-AgendaSept262013 for PDF or see image below]
{NOTE:There is no reference or mention to the road’s previous designation; OntarioNewsNorth.com has been told by past AmericanCan employees that the company was responsible for originally requesting it be designated as an “Industrial Road” instead of being developpe as Hwy 625, in the early years of logging operations in the area when Manitouwadge was still in its infancy as a municipality.}
Though the letter seems to include no good news it should be noted that Minister of Northern Development and Mines and MPP representing Greenstone (Thunder Bay-Superior North riding) the Hon. Michael Gravelle has, this week during the NOMA NWO Regional Conference, accepted a collection of petitions from Manitouwadge Councillor Sheldon Plummer [provided to Plummer by Manitouwadge Resident Bruce Luby had circulated in the region collecting more than 700 signatures; image of petition title at end of this post], and Mr. Gravelle’s office confirmed to OntarioNewsNorth.com that it is the Minister’s intent to use the petitions in his ongoing efforts to assist in finding a resolution to the issue of maintenance of Industrial Road.
During the aforementioned council meeting (Sept.26.2013) another letter was on the agenda (CLICK HERE to view: LetterfromMNR-agendaPg18 or see below article) from Minister of Natural Resources David Orazietti, which Mayor MacEachern refers to as being “Pretty positive”, the Mayor also saying that in the letter Minister Orazietti has “Reiterated there is something in the works being done” though, in my opinion, there is no such assurance in Minister Orazietti’s letter which seems to simply be a standard letter thanking the Mayor and Councillor Labbee for having met with him at AMO in August (click the previous link to decide for yourself what the message is in Minister Orazietti’s letter). Where the Mayor is finding any reference at all to the Industrial Road or any specific actions in the letter has eluded me.
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CERTAINTIES at this point are few in regards to the Industrial Road:
- It has been confirmed by his office that, Minister Gravelle received the petitions, with approximately 700 signatures (this number is from Mr. Luby), delivered by Councillor Sheldon Plummer on September 26th at the NOMA NWO Regional Conference in Thunder Bay
- Minister Gravelle’s office has advised that they will provide an update as to what actions may be taken with the petitions and in regards to ongoing efforts to find a resolution to this issue early this week
- CLICK HERE for the Industrial Road page on this site where links to all articles/interviews/etc published by OntarioNewsNorth.com are listed
Petition circulated by Manitouwadge resident Bruce Luby in area communities (Mtwdge, Caramat, Geraldton, etc) which garnered approximately 700 signatures. The signed petitions were delivered to Minister Michael Gravelle by Manitouwadge Councillor Sheldon Plummer September 26th at a NOMA Conference in Thunder Bay, ON.
