South Dundas group aims to save historical building

by Brandon Mayer

The Historical Society of South Dundas has quite a task on its hands. A wellknown landmark in the town of Iroquois – the 207 year old stone building known as Forward House – is in need of repairs. The building is rich in history, being one of the oldest buildings remaining in town.

While the structure of the building is still strong, some rehabilitation is needed, including roof repairs and the removal of the building’s original furnace which is contaminated with asbestos. The former Council in South Dundas wanted the building gone, but the Historical Society successfully fought for the chance to return it to its former glory, and won. Now, they need money to make the necessary repairs happen.

Are North Grenville roads really that bad?

by Brandon Mayer

Will we ever go through a complete calendar year without the familiar buzz of North Grenville residents complaining about local roads being in a state of disrepair? Not likely. The same can almost certainly be said for every municipality in our area. Roads are probably one of the first things municipal taxpayers think of when it comes to where their tax dollars are going, so it makes sense that anything other than perfectly smooth roads feels like a bumpy ride of municipal money mismanagement. One thing a lot of people don’t realize, however, is that roads are expensive – very expensive.

Overhauling an existing gravel road by filling in potholes with a dumping of fresh gravel costs about $60,000 per kilometre, according to my own recent research. That number becomes $600,000 per kilometre when talking about completely paving a bad road. These numbers may have to be adjusted to account for inflation, or specific local considerations, but they give a solid idea of what road maintenance costs. At these figures, North Grenville could have spent its entire tax revenue for 2022 paving just 27 kilometres of road. Yikes!

Tax dollars can only go so far, and roads have always been, and will always be, paved or repaired a few at a time. Some roads will develop potholes in the time it takes others to be repaired. Complaining about this is akin to hearing a patient be called in to see the doctor from the hospital waiting room only to complain that the hospital is not doing its job because a new patient simultaneously walked in the front door to be triaged.

Some potholes are admittedly inexcusable in their wrath. Potholes that damage vehicles or present a safety concern should certainly be repaired immediately. There were recently several complaints about a particular pothole on County Road 43, near the plaza known as “Community Square”. This pothole is an example of one of the particularly unforgiving ones. When it comes to County Road 43 specifically, Mayor Nancy Peckford was able to provide some insight.

The Historical Society has entered into a contest run by the National Trust of Canada called “The Great Save”.

The premise of the contest is simple – 50 communities across Canada compete for funding to help restore or save a local landmark.

Forward House has made it into the finalist round, which means the building is one of 10 across the country eligible for the chance to win the grand prize - $50,000. The contest winner is determined by online voting. As of the time of writing, an old train station in Duncan, BC has a strong lead with over 18,000 votes, while Forward House sits at just over 3,600 votes. There is still time for Iroquois’ beloved landmark to take the lead, however –the voting period does not end until February 22.

If the Historical Society wins the prize money, the plan is for Forward House to be turned into a historical centre and a local meeting place. The area along the St. Lawrence River is rich in history owing to the flooding of the St. Lawrence Seaway in the 1950s. Ten communities were submerged by the flooding, which was done to create a shipping passage between the Great Lakes and the Atlantic ocean. Many of the displaced people from these ten communities were understandably angry at the time, particularly because many felt that the money offered for their land was insufficient. The towns of Long Sault and Ingleside originated as planned communities intended as a new home for those displaced by the flooding of the Seaway. Morrisburg was partially flooded, and the original town of Iroquois was submerged, but Iroquois was relocated 1.5 kilometres north rather than being abandoned.

However, Forward House did not have to be moved.

“Forward House was not relocated, it sits on its original foundation on high ground,” explained Shawn Walker, Vice President of the Historical Society of South Dundas. “The house is one of only a handful that did not need to be relocated that still are standing.”

Forward House and the property on which it sits are both owned by the Municipality of South Dundas. The Municipality cannot commit to investing in the needed repairs on its own, but South Dundas Mayor Jason Broad confirmed in an interview with CTV News that Council will consider a fundraising dollar match type of support in its 2023 budget.

While an ideal outcome would be for Forward House to win the $50,000 prize money from The Great Save, the contest is not the last option for the Historical Society. “If the Society fails to win the prize, we will persevere and continue to make efforts to raise the funds required to make the building structurally sound and revitalize the space for public use and for creating a home for the Historical Society of South Dundas,” added Shawn.

Anyone can help Forward House by registering an online vote once per day until February 22. Only a name and email address is required, and don’t forget to confirm your vote by clicking the email link. With enough joint community support, we can show the rest of Canada that Eastern Ontario sticks together. To cast a vote, visit https://nationaltrustcanada.ca/whatyou-can-do/nextgreatsave/ competition2022.

“Unfortunately, the continued degradation of 43 may be getting people’s attention, but we are very close to proceeding with the CR 43 expansion and rehabilitation,” said Mayor Peckford, who is also the Warden for the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville. "Public works actively patrols to inspect and repair all road issues on a scheduled basis.”

Complaints about roads seem to work on a schedule, with times during the year that have few complaints, and other times when complaints abound. North Grenville Director of Public Works Karen Dunlop offered an explanation for this. “The freeze thaw cycle of going from freezing to above zero temperatures definitely creates the conditions for potholes,” said Director Dunlop. “We have not seen an increase in potholes compared to previous years. Crews go out and repair regularly when we are not plowing, and use cold patch to fill.”

With spring less than two months away, pothole season is coming fast. Particularly unforgiving potholes can be reported by emailing publicworks@northgrenville.on.ca.