Adam Prudhomme
Editor
Municipalities across the province had the opportunity to chat with key members of the Ontario premier’s cabinet this week during the annual Association of Municipalities of Ontario conference.
Marg Isbester, representing both the County of Lennox and Addington as warden and Greater Napanee as mayor, used Monday’s virtual meetings to talk ferries and economic development.
Teaming with Price Edward County mayor Steve Ferguson, the two lead a delegation to Minister of Transportation Caroline Mulroney to stress the importance of consistent ferry service at Glenora.
“We have flip flopped between 15 and 30 minute service, sometimes with notice, sometimes without notice,” Isbester said of the ferry that links L&A County to PEC. “It makes it very difficult on people that depend on that. Our CAO (of L&A County) Brenda Orchard said it’s part of Hwy 33. It’s a road, it’s just a wet road.”
Isbester said the point of the pitch was to secure provincial funding so the ferry could run every 15 minutes, 365 days a year. Failing that, Isbester said they’d like to see 15-minute service from April 1 through Nov. 30.
“We have a lot of people who live in Adolphustown, Ward 1, who depend on that for shopping, for medical appointments, for family and the same really on the other side,” said Isbester. “When you don’t know what’s going on, then it makes it pretty tough. I can accept weather conditions, mechanical breakdowns and so on, they need to stop doing tear down or dry dock (repairs) in the times that it’s essential that we have two ferries. In 2019 they did in June and July.”
The presentation also looked at possible upgrades from the diesel to electric ferries.
“It was extremely well accepted by them,” said Isbester.
Both sides agree a more reliable ferry service is essential for residents and for the agricultural sector of that region.
“That’s some of our best land there, best cash crops and we need to make sure that they can get supplies and to go across the ferry with some of their larger vehicles,” said Isbester. “It’s not just a pretty ride. It is something that is extremely important to the area and all of the areas. The pretty ride certainly is a bonus.”
Consistent ferries would also be a boon to tourism in the area on the L&A County side of the water as they look to promote St. Alban’s Church, the UEL Centre and Old Hay Bay Church.
Mulroney has plans to visit the region in the near future at which point the two sides will look to make their final pitch to secure funding.
“We can’t let it slip out of their minds as to how important it is,” added Isbester.
The second meeting of the day was another virtual chat, this time with Prabmeet Singh Sarkaria, who was representing the Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade.
“We were meeting on the fact that we here in Lennox and Addington do not have a small business enterprises centre to administer the loans that these starts up need,” said Isbester.
L&A County’s director of community and development services spoke on behalf of the region, outlining the need for L&A to be able to administer provincial loans to small businesses.
“It would mean that people wouldn’t have to go out of the area,” said Isbester. “Right now they’d have to go to Kingston or Belleville. Often these start ups need help with the planning and the financial management, real estate, research and development, human resources and all that, they get overwhelmed. Then you go to tell them they have to go out of town, they can’t deal with the people that they have been at the county that have been coaching them for so long.”
Isbester says the county is already well set up to handle the responsibility.
“Never a better time to do it now that they’ve been doing so much in that department with small business,” said Isbester. “Not just start ups but saving businesses. There’s great faith with the people that have been working there with Ashley Arnold, Tracey Snow and Stephen and Rob Plumley. Now would be a great time to carry on. We have the staff in place.”
Traditionally held in person in large cities such as Toronto or Ottawa, this year’s AMO Conference is being held virtually due to COVID-19 restrictions. Meetings are expected to continue Tuesday and Wednesday.