Tag Archives: Port Stanley harbour

09.28.09
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“Truly sad” if something isn’t done to ensure Port Stanley remains a viable commercial harbour and a safe haven for mariners

Fishing tugs in Port Stanley harbour

Fishing tugs in Port Stanley harbour


Shutting down the only deepwater port on the north shore of Lake Erie could result in Port Stanley losing business and mariners losing their lives, warns one skipper who says he can no longer make it a port of call unless it’s dredged.

Ralph Watson of London, skipper of the 41-metre J. R. Rouble, has written a letter with his concerns to consultants considering the future of the silt-clogged harbour.

“It will be truly sad if something isn’t done to ensure Port Stanley remains a viable commercial harbour and a safe haven for mariners,” he wrote consultant Mark Conway.

Conway’s, firm, N. Barry Lyons Consultants, has been retained to develop plans for the port if the Municipality of Central Elgin accepts it from Transport Canada.
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07.20.09
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Central Elgin Ratepayers Assoc. address to C.E. council July 20/09

Central Elgin Ratepayers Association, CERA, was formed primarily to influence the Council of the Municipality of Central Elgin to do the right thing when it comes to the local property tax burden.

Officially incorporated on May 15, 2009, in just two months CERA now has over 240 members. A recent survey of our members indicated that the Harbour negotiations with Transport Canada was our members’ second priority, after high taxes. Thank goodness, Dan McNeil saw fit to uncover many of the shenanigans in this protracted duel between Transport Canada and Central Elgin Council.

The community is in Harbour negotiation burnout. Only 70 citizens of a population of 12,500 showed up for the re-launched edition Harbour Community Workshop! It’s a sad, misleading commentary when media releases from the municipality and the consultants extol the great turnout at the first session. How can a $100,000 grant from Transport Canada, that’s trying to dump the Harbour on Central Elgin, not positively influence their agenda?
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06.15.09
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Central Elgin Ratepayers Association adds Port Stanley harbour special advisor

Fishing tugs in Port Stanley harbour

Fishing tugs in Port Stanley harbour


Municipality of Central Elgin, Ontario, June 15, 2009 – Bruce Lemon, President of Central Elgin Ratepayers Association (CERA) has announced the appointment of Dan McNeil as Port Stanley Harbour Special Advisor to CERA .

“We’re very pleased that Dan McNeil has agreed to advise CERA on issues that pertain to the on-going negotiations by the Municipality of Central Elgin to acquire the Port Stanley Harbour from the Federal Government.” ,said Mr. Lemon. “Mr. McNeil has been instrumental in lifting the veil of secrecy surrounding these negotiations and explaining how the Federal bureaucracy deals in these matters.”
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06.09.09
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CERA president blasts Central Elgin council for out of control spending

Municipality of Central Elgin, Ontario, June 08, 2009 – At the Central Elgin Council Meeting tonight, Bruce Lemon, President of Central Elgin Ratepayers Association (CERA) blasted the Municipal Council for out of control spending, lack of transparency and one of the highest lower-tier property tax rates in Ontario.

“Reasons for incorporating the villages of Belmont, Port Stanley & the Township of Yarmouth into the Municipality of Central Elgin were to maximize operating efficiencies as well as minimize duplication with the goal of reducing costs. The results to date have been a total failure with property taxes having at least doubled, water rates have at least tripled and staffing levels have increased dramatically while the municipality has only realized a very small population growth rate.” , said Bruce Lemon.
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05.12.09
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New Association to Monitor Municipal and County Government

Municipality of Central Elgin, Ontario, May 12, 2009 – Dismayed by a lack of transparency from municipal government, ineffectiveness in controlling costs at the municipal and county levels, and the risks of assuming the Port Stanley Harbour, a group of local citizens has formed the Central Elgin Ratepayers Association.

“The Municipality of Central Elgin has one of the highest property tax rates and water charges in Ontario” said Bruce Lemon, President. “To continually base new annual budgets on budgets from prior years rather than actual expenditures is a formula for excessive taxation.”

“We’re particularly concerned about plans to acquire the Port Stanley Harbour” Helen Garton, Vice President of the Association advised. “The acquisition will result in excessive taxes to the community if a proper long-term business plan isn’t finalized before acquisition.”
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04.08.09
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Natives urge Port Stanley harbour cleanup

Fishing tugs in Port Stanley harbour

Fishing tugs in Port Stanley harbour

Aboriginal voices have joined the call for the federal government to dredge and remove contamination from the harbour at Port Stanley.

The Walpole Island First Nation is even willing to do the work and bury contaminated soil at a secure site on its land along Lake St. Clair, a representative said.

The Walpole Island First Nation claims the harbour and western Lake Erie as its own.

Members of Walpole Island have been watching as Transport Canada and Central Elgin continue talks that may see the harbour turned over to the local municipality. The First Nation has adopted a wait-and-see attitude as talks continue and its land claim lawsuit sits in the Superior Court of Justice of Ontario.

“We are very concerned about our harbour and we want to make sure the contamination is dealt with and there is dredging,” said former chief Dean Jacobs.
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03.14.09
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Here’s your $750, now go away

Ian McCallum

Ian McCallum


Mayor Cliff Barwick admits 15 homeowners on Montgomery Road have been through “absolute hell,” and yet council and city staff continue to deny these ratepayers adequate compensation for damage sustained in January, 2008 due to heavy rainfall which overloaded the sewer system.
To haggle over whether a 50-millimetre deluge, combined with melting snow on Jan. 8-9 last year, qualifies as a true disaster is an insult to these residents.
Take a look at the damage done to their homes, and this is not the first time they have suffered this fate, and then talk to them about the meaning of disaster.
In fact the problem is so persistent, some residents can no longer obtain flood insurance.
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01.31.09
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Central Elgin Mayor Sylvia Hofhuis addresses water concerns in Port Stanley

Here are Central Elgin Mayor Sylvia Hofhuis’ comments Thurs. Jan 29, 2009 dealing with drinking water concerns in Port Stanley.

mayors-remarks-news-conference-harbour-divest

01.04.09
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MP Joe Preston facing big challenge with harbour

Fishing tugs in Port Stanley harbour

Fishing tugs in Port Stanley harbour

Posted by Ian:
Harbour divestiture talks between the Feds and Central Elgin have long been clouded in secrecy … now we know why. Water quality. To be specific, the potential risk to the water supply of an entire region due to a blob of coal tar sludge up stream from the harbour in Kettle Creek. To be fair, existence of the chemical mess has been known for decades, it is slow moving and despite some media warnings it is a long way from the inlet for the water supply system that supplies Elgin and south London. Nevertheless, Port Stanley harbour, which very much can return to its former glory as a viable Great Lakes harbour. has been shamefully ignored by higher levels of government. This has hampered prospects of a proposed U.S. – Port Stanley ferry – an issue in itself that has split the lakeside community. It’s a challenge for M.P. Joe Preston, who has taken up the cause.
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