EDITORIAL
A marathon in lead shoes
by Brandon Mayer
The “water crisis” in North Dundas is a big deal. I doubt the taps will dry up tomorrow in Winchester and Chesterville, but the Township’s open communication regarding the severity of the ongoing drought makes it clear that this is a problem requiring a short-term solution, not a long term one. The way forward is obvious: it stands to reason that North Dundas will have to switch to sustainable surface water as its raw water source as soon as possible. The high turbidity and uncertain flow rates of the South Nation make it an impractical source option, meaning that a pipeline to... well... somewhere else will be needed.
While it’s good to see that the Township is taking the water crisis seriously, it also seems that sometimes the right hand is not talking to the left hand. At the August 27 council meeting, one item on the agenda was the approval of new water connections for Dawley Drive in Winchester. It’s true that one hiccup should not kill all development and progress in North Dundas, but if that hiccup is of sufficient severity that cars can’t be washed, kids can’t play in sprinklers, vegetable gardens must be left to die, and the municipal pools must close early, then it sounds also serious enough to halt new water system connections at least until a solid plan is in place.
Circling back for a minute, I’ll emphasize the significance of the outdoor water use ban. It was the first ever total ban in North Dundas, and probably the most restrictive ban in Ontario or perhaps even in the country, based on some quick research. Having the municipal pools close for the season early in a community where children are also not allowed to play in a sprinkler or cool down by other aquatic means could not have been a decision taken lightly. Similarly, since the ban was completely pervasive, even vegetable garden watering did not survive the new regulations. Normally, anything to do with food cultivation is safe from a ban, but not this time.
The concurrent total fire ban tells a story of its own. Another “first” in North Dundas, the fire ban applies not just to brush burning and large bonfires but also to cooking fires and campfires. To restrict these activities, long considered a staple of rural living, shows once again how serious the situation is. The ban is twofold: it helps to prevent wildfires during this extended dry period, but also limits the potential for even small, manageable fires, since it would take water to put these fires out – extra water that we simply don’t have.
The most painful part of the water crisis is that a better water source seems both distant and near. This is Canada – a land of abundant freshwater. The St. Lawrence River is a very nearby source of water well suited to treatment, which is why it is the water source of choice for Cornwall, Brockville, and countless small towns along its coastline including 6 towns in SD&G. The idea of a pipeline, meanwhile, is something that surely would have been considered a long time ago if it was cheap or easy. In his interview with me as part of his 2022 re-election campaign, Councillor Gary Annable stated that his father was fighting for more sustainable water infrastructure as a Winchester Township official decades ago.
North Dundas is certainly not the only municipality that draws municipal water from ground wells. The 3 towns in North Stormont that have municipal water services also draw from wells, and even the fast-growing Municipality of North Grenville (which includes Kemptville) is supplied from wells. When I worked as the editor of The North Grenville Times, I was invited into the home of former Mayor of Kemptville, Ralph Raina, who in his interview with me, described North Grenville’s water system as equivalent to “sucking water from a cup” – the implication being that the water in the cup will run out at some point. Kemptville has fewer wells than North Dundas, suggesting better source wells, but even those won’t last forever. The town of Newington in the northern portion of South Stormont supplies about 260 residents with water from a single dug well that was installed in the 1930’s! A drilled well is pumped and feeds into the dug well as backup when needed. This is yet another system that surely can’t be sustainable forever.
In North Dundas, it’s clear that water can no longer be a backburner issue. The Township and its council members will be facing a marathon soon, and unfortunately, it will be a marathon in lead shoes. No, I’m not suggesting that council is moving too slowly, but rather than it will be a heck of a journey with provincial and federal red tape and bureaucratic nonsense getting in the way. Municipalities, after all, must stick within their budgets and can’t simply go into debt to solve all of their problems, unlike higher levels of government. There is no way North Dundas can build a pipeline and suitable water treatment infrastructure without significant grants.
Given that North Grenville just received multi-million dollar grants to upgrade its public swimming pool and its wastewater treatment facility, it would be somewhat insulting if government funding is not offered up for North Dundas’ far more dire circumstances. Then again, South Dundas recently got government money for Morrisburg Arena repairs while funding from the same grant was denied for North Dundas, despite our arenas being in desperate need of some TLC.
Whatever the plan of action, we can only hope that the severity of the water crisis here in North Dundas is clear enough to get the attention of those who hold the public purse. Until then, we’ll keep the garden hoses rolled up and watch the flowers wilt away.