Since the announcement back in March of this year that Volkswagen had selected St. Thomas as the site of its first EV battery plant in North America, the majority of attention has centred on the new industrial park which will house the massive complex.
However, before the facility begins production in 2027, its impact will be felt in a major realignment of area roads and highways.
We’ve already dedicated space to the widening of Highbury Avenue and its extension to the Hwy. 3 bypass.
But a much more significant undertaking is the shape of things to come on the highway corridor between the city and Talbotville.
Announced this summer, it cancels a much smaller road project that would have seen a roundabout installed at the intersection of Ron McNeil Line and Hwy. 3, west of Wellington Road.
Preliminary design work had already begun prior to the announcement of the EV battery plant.
The new roadwork is designed to accommodate truck traffic into and out of the EV battery plant and involves three stages: the twinning of Hwy. 3 through St. Thomas to Ron McNeil Line; a new Hwy. 3 alignment that will bypass Talbotville; and the widening of Hwy. 4 from the new Talbotville bypass north to Clinton Line.
A well-attended public information centre was held on Aug. 17 in Talbotville where numerous concerns were voiced, in particular with the need to expropriate land.
The twinning of Highway 3 through St. Thomas will require a new interchange at Wellington Road; improvements to the First Avenue interchange; connection to the proposed Centennial Avenue roundabout (a city undertaking associated with the battery plant); and the twinning of the Kettle Creek Bridge.
The Ministry of Transportation has identified two problem areas that have prompted this undertaking.
Traffic on highways 3 and 4 through Talbotville will continue to increase as recent and future industrial, commercial and residential growth occurs, which will impact safety in the community.
And, Hwy. 3 is a two-lane undivided highway with at-grade intersections, which is not suitable for the anticipated increase in traffic.
At the Sept. 11 city council meeting, staff provided comments on specific areas of this project.
In particular, where Highway 3 intersects Ron McNeil Line, the city would prefer that the Ford Road connection at this interchange be maintained to provide an opportunity as a future collector connection to the continued development south of this interchange with Hwy. 3 and Wonderland Road.
Thus avoiding turning Ford Road into a cul-de-sac at Hwy. 3.
With the Wellington Road interchange alternatives put forth by the ministry, the city has no preference but cautions the connection with Water Tower Line should remain.
On the twinning of Hwy. 3 through the city, the preference would be to have a new ramp for westbound Highway 3 traffic exiting north on First Avenue while the existing southbound loop from First Avenue to the highway would remain.
The disadvantage here is more property would have to be acquired for the ramp.
We wrote in depth about the various alternatives and the city’s response back on Sept. 9 and you can read that item here.
Moving forward, the MTO is hosting a second public information centre on Nov. 22 at St. Anne’s Centre.
That should give you an idea of the size of turnout expected for the public open house.
It will run from 5 until 8 p.m.
The purpose of the centre is to “provide the public and stakeholders with an opportunity to review the evaluation of alternatives and to present the preferred plan.”
The evening will be a drop-in format, with members of the project team available to discuss the undertaking and respond to questions.
Detailed documentation on this significant undertaking can be found at http://www.highway3elgin.ca
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COLOURS CEREMONY
Several hundred attendees witnessed a first in Canadian military history last Saturday afternoon at St. Thomas Cemetery.
They were on hand for the interment of the colours for the 91st Battalion Canadian Expeditionary Force and the 1st Battalion Elgin Regiment.
The ceremony was conducted by Chaplain Andrew Thompson.
“The cremation and interment of these colours is a first in Canadian military history and a first in Canadian history.
“This event today will return the colours of the 91st Battalion and the Elgin Regiment to the commanding officers and the men and women who so proudly represented this country.”
Chaplain Thompson explained the colours had deteriorated to the point the most honourable option was to cremate them and inter them in an unmarked grave.
“Fifty-eight decorations for valour were awarded to the men of the 91st. Four officers and 173 men of the 91st made the ultimate sacrifice in the name of freedom.”
The colours were laid up in Trinity Anglican Church in 1935 and hung there until the church was deconsecrated in 2020.
During the service, Chaplain Thompson honoured the men who served with the battalion during the First World War.
“The men of the 91st served gallantly from the Somme and every battle through to the end of the (First World) War.
“Fifty-eight decorations for valour were awarded to the men of the 91st. Four officers and 173 men of the 91st made the ultimate sacrifice in the name of freedom.”
He documented the travels of the colours throughout the First World War and afterward.
The colours would accompany the battalion to England where they were deposited in Canterbury Cathedral for the duration of the war.
“The colours returned to Canada at the end of the war and were presented to the newly formed Elgin Regiment in 1921.
“And in 1935, they were ceremoniously deposited and hung at Trinity Anglican Church in St. Thomas.”
ROUNDABOUT REVISITED
The city’s decision to construct a roundabout at St. Catharine and Kains streets is going to be explored further.
A petition with over 200 names opposed to the roundabout was presented to city council at Monday’s (Nov. 6) meeting.
There was unanimous support from council on a motion to refer the petition to city staff with a report to come back to council for a future meeting.
Karen Rivers, owner of the Dixie Dairy Bar and Tackle Shop, had submitted the petition to mayor and council.
She called the roundabout “completely unnecessary” and, instead, would like to see the intersection governed by four-way stop signs.
A public information session dealing with concerns raised by area residents will be held in Room 304 at city hall from 6 until 8 p.m. on Nov. 28.
Related post:
The good, the bad and the concerns expressed about life in St. Thomas
WHAT’S IN A NAME?
City council on Monday (Nov. 13) will deal with a report on the naming of the new industrial park that will be the home of the EV battery plant.
In the report from Sean Dyke, CEO of the St. Thomas Economic Development Corporation he notes, “it is pertinent to brand it in a relevant way so as to be in a position to effectively market and present the available lands to prospective end users, while also providing a name and identity that can be utilized locally as an identifier for this new area of the city.”
And so the Industrial Development Leadership Team has come up with the moniker Yarmouth Yards for the 1,500-acre parcel of land.
According to Dyke, “As the lands are located in the historic community of Yarmouth, this geographic branding is both unique and relevant, while also connecting back to the railway theme that is prevalent in all of the city’s existing branding.”
Kind of like the home of Major League Baseball’s Baltimore Orioles, Oriole Park at Camden Yards.
Members of council are being presented with five different logo options with Dyke noting the preferred choice is Number 2 as pictured above.
Dyke explained, “While all have merit, the IDLT feels that Option 2 would be the most suitable for the new Yarmouth Yard Industrial Park, with good versatility to utilize portions of it throughout the park, a clean look and a colour palette that matches that of the city.”
Kind of think it looks more like something you would brand on the side of cattle or your printer is out of alignment.
To be honest, we’re partial to Option 1 pictured at right, in particular the old-style font.
THE ECHO CHAMBER
Responding to our item last week on the city’s refresh of its strategic plan, Brat had the following question.
“I am wondering whatever happened to the new animal shelter that the 1Password owner donated $1 million to.
“I recall a discussion there was going to be great amenities for the animals and a land location was selected, I’m sure I saw drawings as well.
“This was three years ago, the animals are still stuck in the jail-like shelter, dismal looking shed across from a very, very loud manufacturing plant.
“London has already built theirs and it was brought up at the same time as St.Thomas’s non-existent shelter.”
You can find the latest on the animal shelter here: https://ianscityscope.com/2023/07/22/sprawling-encampment-offeredzero-opportunity-for-moving-out-of-homelessness-st-thomas-police-chief-marc-roskamp/
With regard to the proposed roundabout at the Dixie Dairy Bar, Dave Mathers had this observation.
“I have to laugh each time I drive through that corner. During the summer the city puts up a bunch of orange pylons restricting right-hand turns (or possibly some other reason?).
But, apparently, those problems don’t exist during the winter as those pylons are removed.
“I’m sure the city’s snowplow operators are the real reason for the winter removal. Their job is already too hard due to the head-scratching enduro course created on Talbot St.”
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