Parks Canada notice re: work at Narrows Lock
During the week of November 28th, 2016, Parks Canada will begin heritage masonry work at Narrows Lock 35 on the Rideau Canal National Historic Site. The repairs for this project will include stone replacement, grouting and repointing to ensure the continued structural integrity and functionality of the lock.
Citizens can expect intermittent delays and nightly closures of County Road 14 at Narrows Swing Bridge between December 12th, 2016 and December 23rd, 2016. The alternate vehicle route around Upper Rideau Lake is North Shore Road to Highway 10 by traveling south on Highway 10 to Highway 42. Highway 42 will take you south-east into Crosby. Signage will be posted on County Road 14 communicating the delays and alternate routes.
Click here for more details about this project and other ongoing work along the Rideau Canal.
CP Holiday Train rolling through Perth this weekend
CP's annual Holiday Train program is a rolling fundraising event that travels across Canada and the United States raising money, food and awareness for food banks and hunger issues, hosting free holiday concerts along the way.
Every pound of food and dollar raised at each stop stays with the local food bank to help feed those in need in that community. Since its launch in 1999, the program has raised more than $12 million and 3.9 million pounds of food for communities along CP’s routes in Canada and the northern U.S.
The train will be rolling through Perth on Sunday November 27th. The night starts at 6:40 pm with singing and carolling; the train is expected to pass through about 8:00 pm.
For additional information, visit http://www.cpr.ca/holiday-train, or follow on Facebook (www.facebook.com/holidaytrain), Twitter (@CPHolidayTrain) or Instagram (@CPHolidayTrain).
Parks Canada Notice re: Work at Poonamalie Dam
Parks Canada Press Release - "During the week of November 7th, 2016, investigative drilling and surveying will take place at Poonamalie Lock 32 on the Rideau Canal National Historic Site. This investigative work will inform the design of the upcoming heritage stone masonry rehabilitation project scheduled to begin in fall 2017.
Parks Canada will be dewatering the lock to allow for a detailed inspection of the lock and surrounding area. Surveying will be completed to identify the surface features and the depth of the water at the site. Additionally, small vertical boreholes will be drilled just outside of the lock adjacent to the approach walls to determine the subsurface conditions. These inspections are integral to the development of the design and the scope of the upcoming construction work."
Township of Rideau Lakes Meetings on Council and Ward Structure Review
Several meetings will be held this month as part of the ongoing council and ward structure review:
Monday, November 14 at 5:30pm at Portland Community Hall, 24 Water Street. The consulting firm StrategyCorp will be presenting their Report regarding Council and Ward Structure Review.
Tuesday, November 29 at 4pm at Rideau Centennial Elementary School, 2761 Hwy 15, Portland. Council will hear delegations regarding Council and Ward Structure. Anyone wishing to address Council on this matter must contact the Clerk, Mary Ellen Truelove at 1-800-928-2250 Ext 293 or mtruelove@twprideaulakes.on.ca.
RVCA Drought Update
A message from RVCA's Senior Water Resources Technician, Patrick Larson:
I have meant to put together a summary of conditions in the watershed for awhile but have held off because I wanted to be able to report on a meeting the Conservation Authorities in Severe drought had asked for with Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry. Unfortunately, it has taken longer than anticipated to come together and is now scheduled for the November 14th. So, a summary now and a report on the meeting after the 14th.
An average of 15.4 millimeters of rain fell in the first two weeks of October. An average of 75.4 mm fell in the next six days, most of that on the 20th through the 22nd. The good points about this rain event were that it was well distributed over the watershed and wasn’t intense rain that could have overwhelmed urban drainage systems. However, while there has been some rain since, it has not been enough to sustain flows so most streams have again declined. There needs to be enough regular rainfall to fill the wetlands and saturate the soil before streams can reach and stay close to historical averages. Now, as streamflows decline, the pattern of disconnected pools is occurring again. A concern is that what aquatic populations are left, after struggling to survive in the warm water, low oxygen and shrinking pools through the summer, are now faced with shallow pools that are going to freeze possibly solid.
Lakes in the watershed have also had increased levels from the rain with the reservoir lakes rising closer to targets. Bobs Lake is actually above target after a summer that was a trial for boaters as the water got lower and lower. The other three reservoir lakes are all below the respective targets. To put a bit of a positive spin on what has passed, there was water throughout the summer in all watershed lakes, just not what residents have been used to. Some farmers have had quite good crops from soybeans to apples. We have had only limited contact with people who have had their wells go dry and do not know what the present status is.
To close, with flows falling again, there is really no change in the rationale for the Severe Drought status that flows and levels have not been restored to normal. The one outlier is Kemptville Creek that received over 100 mm of rain and had levels at the Oxford Mills Dam rise a metre to summer target levels, just in time for the adjustment to winter levels. Flows have not declined as much as the rest of the watershed so, technically, that sub-watershed could have the drought status raised but it might be prudent to leave it and the rest of the Rideau watershed in Severe status so as to avoid confusion if conditions decline further.
Contact: 613-692-3571 or 1-800-267-3504 ext. 1210
Fire Ban Lifted for Tay Valley
The Fire Ban for Tay Valley Township has been officially lifted. Please ensure that you obtain Fire Permits from the Municipal Office for all burning with the exception of small supervised campfires. These permits are FREE and good for life. Each time you burn, call the number at the bottom of the permit (613-267-2596), choose extension #2, and follow the prompts.
The DNETV Fire Rescue Department and Tay Valley Municipal Office would like to remind everyone that all burning should be continuously supervised, and that a source of water be accessible at all times to assist in preventing out of control fires.
For the latest 24-hour Fire Ban information, please contact the Fire Department Administration Office directly at 613-267-2596, and listen to the automated message.
End of Season Operations on the Rideau Canal
Click here to read the Parks Canada Information Bulletin regarding the closing of the Rideau Canal lockstations for the season, effective October 11, 2016.
Season Closing for Colonel By Island
Due to infrastructure improvements, Parks Canada closed Colonel By Island for the season, effective September 29th. Island access and all facilities, including docks, will be unavailable as of this date.