Meeting notes from Tuesday, March 22, 2022.
Newport Road River Access
County of Brant council members approved a plan to create a new Grand River access point on Newport Road.
The park will include a parking lot for 37 vehicles, a drop-off zone, staging area, information kiosk, picnic area, space for portable washrooms, lighting, gates and landscaping. The total project cost is estimated at $325,000.
Council members expressed their concerns about the project before voting on its approval. Councillor Brian Coleman shared his experience with speeding on Newport Road, and said he worried about safety for pedestrians crossing the road.
“If you read the police reports that we get once a month, Newport Road is mentioned more than once for speeding,” Councillor Coleman said. “I don’t know how we’re going to make it safe to cross.”
Councillor Coleman and Councillor Joan Gatward also expressed concern about the $325,000 price tag for the project.
“It is a lot of money, but I support it,” Councillor Gatward said, noting that the location is often used as an unofficial river access point.
Kathy Ballantyne, the director of parks and facilities in the County of Brant, said that speed will be reduced in the area to create a safer space. She also said that visitors are encouraged to use the drop-off zone for kayaks and canoes instead of walking across the road with them when the project is completed.
Ontario 55+ Games
The County of Brant approved the Ontario 55+ Summer Games Co-Hosting opportunity during the council meeting on Tuesday, March 22.
The games were previously approved by the County of Brant and the City of Brantford for the summer of 2021, but were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Ontario 55+ Summer Games are held every other year in August with approximately 800 to 1,400 athletes, coaches and officials who take part in three days of competition featuring up to eighteen different sports competitions.
Council members approved the use of $12,500 of the economic development and tourism 2023 operating budget to support the games, as well as staff participation in the execution of the event.
The County of Brant will also split transportation costs for participants with the City of Brantford, not to exceed $15,000.
Council members fully supported the motion to approve the application for the co-hosting opportunity.
World Autism Day
Council members proclaimed that the County of Brant would celebrate World Autism Day on April 2, 2022 in a motion carried at the council meeting on Wednesday, March 22.
The County of Brant was invited to join into the celebrations in a letter from Autism Ontario. This year’s theme is Celebrate the Spectrum and encourages community members to use the day to bring light to barriers that must be removed to create a more supportive Ontario.
“Celebrate the Spectrum is an opportunity for positive action to provide spaces of support and advocacy for our diverse communities while learning about autism and how we can all make our communities more inclusive places for people on the autism spectrum” the letter said.
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) affects more than 135,000 Ontarians. Autism Spectrum Disorder is a neurodevelopmental disorder affecting 1 in every 66 Canadian children. Approximately 1 – 2 percent of the Canadian population is on the autism spectrum.
Holy Trinity Cemetery
Holy Trinity Church in Burford has asked the County of Brant to take over operations of their cemetery.
Glen Keam, a warden at Holy Trinity Church made the request to council members in a letter on March 15.
“With the declining numbers we are unable to find volunteer parishioners that are willing to take on or continue to take administrative responsibility for managing the cemetery attached to our church,” Keam said in the letter. “Due to declining parishioner numbers and most recently the COVID -19 pandemic we were forced to make the difficult decision to move from a full time church to a church of ease.”
The church, located at 104 King Street in Burford, was established in 1836. Keam noted that the grounds are in “excellent condition” maintained by volunteers over the years.
He stated that the cemetery is the resting place of several historically significant community members including several members of the Canadian Armed Forces.
Council members voted to refer the request to County of Brant staff for a report.
According to the County of Brant website, they currently manage 11 active cemeteries where burial services occur year round. The county is also home to 25 inactive cemeteries where loved ones are honoured.
