Central to ask conservation authorities for help with Eurasian milfoil

Craig Bakay | Apr 20, 2022

Central Frontenac Township currently has no strategy to mitigate Eurasian milfoil infestations in Township Lakes but has begun to reach out to the three Conservation Authorities (Mississippi Valley, Rideau Valley and Quinte) for advice as to how to proceed,

Council heard at its regular (online and in person) meeting April 12.

The item was on the agenda in response to a presentation from Chris Grnak of the Maclean’s Point Cottage Association West Basin.

In his presentation, Grnak asked several questions.

• What funding has Council allocated towards an ongoing Eurasian milfoil management control plan?

• What is Council’s lake health plan including the Eurasian milfoil and algae blooms for Sharbot Lake property owners?

• Has Council had any engagement with other government agencies or departments (Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry etc) to solicit their support (legislation, regulations etc) with the management of the Eurasian milfoil and if so, what was the outcome?

• Should the purchase of a pontoon boat or harvesting vessel be considered for the seasonal removal of the species from Sharbot Lake? What funding would be necessary to maintain an ongoing maintenance and operation program?

• Is there any communication or awareness plan being developed for the Sharbot Lake community?

“I’ve asked Cathy (CAO/Clerk MacMunn) to give a call to the conservation authorities to see if this is on their radar and what, if anything, they propose to do,” said Mayor Frances Smith.

“I sent an email to each of the conservation authority GMs, and they’re turning it over to their programs for more information, and getting that to me,” MacMunn said. “When I have that, I’ll be bringing it back to Council. I asked about management and control.”

“We did support applications for Eagle Lake and both Sharbot Lake basins,” Smith said. “The problem is once you begin to harvest it, if you don’t do it properly, you just make it worse unless you get all the roots.”

“I think it’s a much bigger issue than just the west basin of Sharbot Lake,” said Coun. Bill MacDonald. “I think another level of government has to look at it. It’s almost a provincial issue.”

For example, North Frontenac has been confronting a Eurasian milfoil problem, particularly in Malcolm and Ardoch Lakes.

“We have more than one lake and I don’t think it’s something the municipality can take on.”

“The basic answer is we need to do some more research to find out where we can get some help,” said Smith. “The municipality doesn’t have the resources to work on the lake and I’m not sure we have the know-how even if we did have the resources.”

Building fees.

There were no comments received nor did any of Council receive any feedback regarding amendments to the building bylaw’s fee schedule but Coun. Bill MacDonald had a question of his own.

“I think the fee for tearing down a building is $100,” MacDonald said. “If someone is tearing down an old shed would it cost them $100?”

“If it’s a derelict old shed I wouldn’t charge them a fee for a demolition,” said Chief Building Official Andy Dillon. “There is something called an alteration permit but it’s all on a case-by-case basis.”

New road surface, new hole in the road

The hole that’s appeared in the new surface of Ardoch Road kind of has officials baffled.

“We may have opened an underground water source when putting in new culverts and such,” said Public Works Manager Tyson Myers. “It’s total bad luck and a weird one to get to the bottom of.

“It’s like a spring situation and if not remedied properly it will destroy any surface treatment we put there.

“We will be monitoring it.”

Building permit dry spell about the become a flood.

Despite statistics that suggest it’s been a down year for building so far, CBO Andy Dillon said fear not, things will be picking up with the next report.

“As of today, I have 33 applications I haven’t got to yet because I’ve been helping out up in North Frontenac,” he said.