Never have I seen such a public interest in local politics quite as strong as it is today, at least not in my 3.5 years of writing for the Times. People are asking some tough questions about what is going on here in North Dundas, and most have not been afraid to share their strong opinions about the state of things.
Something fascinating happened at the January 15 Council meeting. Deputy Mayor Theresa Bergeron finally came right out and said something that has been danced around for years: she posited that North Dundas needs to start drawing its water from a more sustainable source, referring to the drilling of more wells as akin to simply putting more straws in the same cup.
Specifically, the Deputy Mayor proposed a pipeline to the St. Lawrence River. Anyone sitting behind a keyboard (myself included) can easily and safely argue that this is the best long term water quality and quantity solution for Winchester and Chesterville. Such a solution could even potentially see other settlements within the Township connected to water at some point, without the worry of drawing from limited capacity wells. There are, however, many other things to consider, which is why it was so brave for Deputy Mayor Bergeron to walk over the coals and finally bridge the gap between mutual thought and public discourse.
North Dundas currently has, if I am not mistaken, 8 municipal wells, with another one in the process of coming online. Municipal wells are large, high capacity wells which also need pump houses and purification equipment to make them useful from a “public water utility” standpoint. In other words, they are expensive. The fact that an additional well is in the process of being added to the existing system is one reason I argue that the Deputy Mayor is brave for speaking out. It takes a lot of gumption to suggest an alternative water source while water users are literally in the midst of paying for upgrades to the existing source.
The problem with municipal politics is this: there is never a “good” time to suggest a gigantic, expensive infrastructure upgrade. Unlike the federal and provincial governments, which borrow billions of dollars seemingly without thought or consequence, municipalities operate within a tight budget. A big project is therefore never an easy decision for a municipality. Something such as building a treatment facility and a pipeline to the St. Lawrence River, which would undoubtedly cost millions of dollars, is essentially unheard of without some kind of grant money from higher levels of government. It is also bound to come with questions from existing water service users who realize that 8 or 9 decommissioned large wells simply feels wasteful, even if it is a necessary evil.
For the sake of argument, a much more cost effective water source would be the city of Ottawa. Perhaps some readers don’t realize that the village of Marionville, which sits right at the intersection of 3 municipal borders – Ottawa, Russell, and North Dundas – gets its water from the Ottawa system. It sits within Russell Township, as do the Towns of Russell and Embrun, which also get their water from Ottawa through an agreement with the city.
Ottawa water – which is arguably of excellent quality – in fact runs through the streets of Marionville just steps away from North Dundas soil. If Russell Township can secure an agreement with the City of Ottawa, why not North Dundas? Not only would the required pipeline be shorter (approximately 10km to Winchester, with no additional pipeline needed for Chesterville since the Winchester and Chesterville water systems are already connected via a pipeline along gypsy lane), but the water would be received already treated. No more signature North Dundas brown water? It may sound like a dream, but it could be a reality, with the right initiative.
Regardless of how the North Dundas water quality and quantity problem is fixed, it takes someone with real vision and passion to stick their neck out and propose a costly but needed solution. All elected officials in this country serve a term of 4 years regardless of the level of government. Those only interested in furthering their political careers are not likely to touch big, long term projects with a 10 foot pole. Those who actually care about their community – Deputy Mayor Bergeron, for one – are not afraid to broach these real issues. With only another year and a half in her current term, she knows there is real chance she won’t even have her job when any sort of water infrastructure project finally gets completed, but it’s not about the glory of a ribbon cutting ceremony, it’s about planning for the needs and sustainability of the Township, both current and distant future.
This is the kind of leadership we need if we are ever going to get out of this rut.
