Mel Swart Park Cleanup
Coun. Fred Neale invited all Thorold residents to Mel Swart Lake Gibson Park on Saturday, April 20 for an Earth Day tree planting and cleanup session.
“We will be planting trees, cleaning up the park and we welcome everyone out to help clean up the environment,” said Neale.
Reduce Noise of Religious Services
Coun. Jim Handley said he’s received “several complaints” about the noise from religious services being “amplified” while held in the Battle of Beaverdams Park. Handley added that under the Supreme Court of Canada, it states “That people don’t have to be subjected to other religious beliefs.”
“People are telling me they are being forced from their homes to be part of the religious services because of the amplification,” he continued. “I have nothing against the religious group but if they wish to continue, I ask that the amplification be ceased. The people who live at 64 Front Street North (a nearby apartment complex) and around it are subject to it every Sunday” in the summertime, noted Handley.
According to chief building official Jason Simpson, “The city is seeking a legal opinion on the matter. We are aware of the complaints and we are also holding park permits from being issued until we receive legal advice.”
Who Should Bus Shelters Benefit?
Provincial infrastructure money earmarked for Thorold’s transportation needs should not be spent on bus shelters for Brock students, said Coun. Jim Handley. He added that he and members of the previous council agreed that “Any infrastructure related to Brock should be borne by the university and not Thorold residents,” and continued, “This funding given to the municipality was not meant for 5,000 Brock students. Why can’t we build a bus shelter in Thorold South, or in front of the seniors’ centre? It should not be for Brock, and they only use it nine months a year,” he concluded. “We get no Heads for Beds from the province.”
Heads and beds funding is provincial payment to municipalities for all property tax-exempt public institutional properties that are provincially owned or controlled, including hospitals, universities, colleges and correctional institutes.
Director of public works and community services Geoff Holman said the city has “Gone out to tender to look at five bus shelters—two on Schmon Parkway, two on Towpath Street and one on Tupper Drive.”
Coun. Anthony Longo made a motion to defer a decision on the matter until council receives more information.
New Committee Appointments
Kathleen Kelly was appointed to the city’s Joint Accessibility Advisory committee, and Al McInnis and Jim Hill to the Runway of Recognition committee at council last Tuesday. At a prior meeting, it was announced that Tim Miotto was appointed to the Thorold Public Library board, and Dean Taylor to the Thorold Active Transportation Advisory (TATAC) committee.
