Lack of federal cash won't slow project

News

Posted By BOB BRUTON BARRIE EXAMINER

Posted 1 month ago

The city will surge forward with the realignment of Dyment's Creek, despite no federal funding.

A $340,000 project, it's a preliminary step in the widening of Ferndale Drive from Edgehill Drive to Dunlop Street.

But it's being done without help from the $30-million Lake Simcoe Clean Up Fund.

"I think it is disappointing that we did not receive the funding for this project," said Coun. Lynn Strachan, who represents this part of Barrie.

Kelly Oakley, the city's infrastructure program engineer, said the city applied for two-thirds, or $226,000, of the project's total cost. She said the fund has four key priorities that projects are required to address to receive funding.

"We felt that this (Dyment's Creek) project addressed the priority, which is to improve fish habitat," she said. "They (LSCUF) believe we did address the cold-water stream, but we didn't provide sufficient information on how the fish community would benefit from the project."

Funding for this project was approved in the city's 2010 capital plan. LSCUF money would have just reduced that total, but the project will still proceed as planned.

It's the re-channelization of about 170 metres of the creek, realigning it to its original location. The new creek banks will be stabilized using native plants.

Other stabilization measures will be used to supplement the aquatic habitat and improve water quality, and create fish habitat.

An earth berm will be constructed to prevent flooding onto private properties and debris will be removed from the waterway.

The work takes place on Dyment's Creek from just below Villers Street to just south of Sproule Drive. The city did send a detailed proposal to the Lake Simcoe Clean Up Fund, but the project was turned down.

"We have actually applied for quite a few more projects under this fund than we have received funding for, and typically it is because ... the reasons for the project that we are undertaking in the city aren't necessarily jiving with the projects, the categories or criteria the Lake Simcoe Clean Up Fund has laid out," Oakley said.

"Unfortunately, things just sometimes don't line up for us."

Federally financed, the LSCUF supports priority projects led by community organizations, landowners, non-government environmental groups, community groups, educational institutions, small and medium sized businesses, the provincial and municipal governments, and the Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority.

These projects are to help heal the lake and make it viable for future generations.

They deal with a wide range of issues around the lake's health, including erosion control, habitat improvement, stream stabilization, tree planting, manure storage control, the control of invasive species, storm water management and shoreline restoration.

Eight more projects, it was announced earlier this month, will receive funding under round five of the $30-million, five-year LSCUF.

"I am pleased that we were successful with other projects," Strachan said, "and we continue to work towards improving the quality of Lake Simcoe."

The Dyment's Creek project was scheduled to begin by the end of July and is expected to be complete by mid-October.

bbruton@thebarrieexaminer.com

Topic guidelines: We welcome your thoughts, stories and information related to this article. Please stay on topic and be respectful of others. Keep the conversation appropriate for interested readers.