South Frontenac Council - Jan 19/10

Jeff Green | Jan 21, 2010

No power boat race on Sydenham Lake.

Doug Overbury, of the Canadian Boating Federation, sent a letter to council seeking to open planning discussions for a stock outboard racing event on Sydenham Lake, but council had other plans.

Races have taken place in the past and have never been particularly popular among local residents.

“This has been to the Loughborough Rec. committee. We did not allow it to continue. One of the reasons was there was no community organisation locally that is behind it. I’m not as a councilor interested in allowing it to happen. There is a lot of opposition and no real support for it,” said Councilor Alan McPhail.

“It’s a source of water for Sydenham. We don’t want gas spillage in the water,” said Councilor Del Stowe.

“It didn’t hardly generate anything in the village when it was here before. No money ever came in from it,” said Mayor Gary Davison.

“I will take it then that there is no support from council,” said Chief Administrative Officer Wayne Orr, to nods all around.

The end of the line for squad 65

One of the township’s fire trucks, Squad 65, a 23-year-old vehicle that was purchased used 13 years ago, started to have fire coming out from its exhaust pipe during a fire call on January 12. It was brought to Battersea Auto where a new carburetor was installed. The engine then seized up. The mechanic said it would cost between $10,000 and $12,000 for a new engine. The fire committee decided it would not be a wise investment and told the mechanic to see by removing the engine head if putting a new head for about $3,000 would do the trick. He reported back that a piston is bent.

The fire committee recommended, and council agreed, that the department should get by with its other equipment for the time being. The township has been planning to buy one truck in 2011 and two in 2012, but with the death of Squad 65, two trucks will be purchased in 2011 and one in 2012.