Boil-water advisory for seven years!

NEWS RELEASE

UNSUSTAINABLE WATER COMMITTEE

************************** Residents back Township of North Shore to have province take over responsibility of municipal water and waste water system

SERPENT RIVER - Residents of the Township of North Shore filled the gymnasium at Rockhaven School for a Town Hall Forum held on March 15, 2009 to voice their concerns regarding significant increases pertaining to their municipal water and waste water bills.

Mayor Heather Pelky welcomed Carol Hughes, MP for Algoma-Manitoulin-Kapuskasing to the meeting while other invitees, Minister George Smitherman, MPP Mike Brown and NDP’s new leader, Andrea Horwath sent their regrets.

The township is calling on Minister of Energy and Infrastructure George Smitherman to meet with them to either discuss assistance with the operation and maintenance of the municipal water system or take responsibility for the unsustainable water system for this small northern community of just over 400 households.

“The municipal water systems have proven to be an expenditure the municipality can no longer afford,” Pelky said as she referred to the systems from Pronto East Subdivision and Serpent River.

Pelky stated the township is greatly appreciative of the significant funding the provincial and federal government have promised them for the installation of a new water system in the Pronto East Subdivision, whose 21 households had been on a boil water advisory for over seven years up until this past week. 

“At this time we are tallying up the final invoices and are submitting them to the federal government to find out exactly what their portion will be,” added Pelky.

“Water rates for municipal water users here in the Township of the North Shore have been going up significantly, 10 percent per year since 2004,” said Councilor Kathy Robitaille.

She added: “Clearly, the ministries are disregarding their very own commissioned studies and reports” and quoted an excerpt from the Water Strategy Expert Panel report.

“Northern Ontario presents unique challenges to achieving increased scale and capacity.... provincial trusteeship would be somewhat like the role of a trustee in bankruptcy. The province would take full control of the assets without owning them. As well, it would assume the obligations to maintain the water services and retire the debt. It would cap rates paid by water service customers."

Robitaille expressed her disappointment. as did others. with the fact that Minister Smitherman and MPP Brown were not in attendance, nor did they send representation.

Those in attendance voiced their concerns about their inability to remain in their homes due to the high costs.

Most of the residents are retirees on fixed income.

Many indicated they will have no choice but to leave the area, as they cannot afford to pay the monthly water bills.

One resident advised that the cost of the water bill equals to half of the old-age security cheque she receives.

Residents also pointed out they will have difficulty selling their homes due to the outrageous cost.

Pronto East Subdivision residents are being hit with an initial capital bill of over $3,800 on top of the regular monthly rate and expect to be billed for additional costs related to the new plant as they still don’t know what the bottom line will be.

“It’s critical that the provincial government sits down with the Township of the North Shore to discuss the solution as soon as possible,” Carol Hughes, MP said.

“Instead of enjoying your retirement residents here are being stressed out,” she added as she acknowledged the health difficulties some are experiencing.

Hughes has placed a call to Minister John Baird’s office, however, will likely have to wait until the final bill is submitted in order to attempt to assist the township in asking for additional dollars to help offset the cost of the new plant in Pronto East Subdivision.

Hughes also read a letter that the newly elected NDP leader, Andrea Horwarth, sent to the township regarding this critical issue. 

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