K-12 French Catholic school in Winchester proposed at council meeting
by Brandon Mayer
A nearby CSDCEO school in Crysler
The regularly scheduled July 30 council meeting began with a public meeting regarding the former Scotiabank building in South Mountain. A local veterinarian – Dr. Maria Segura – applied to have the property rezoned to allow her to operate a veterinary clinic on the property. She confirmed for the Times that she was holding off on purchasing the building until after the public meeting to ensure that she could operate her intended business. Later in the meeting, the motion to approve the zoning amendment passed.
No comments were made by members of the public, neither in writing prior to the meeting nor during the meeting. Dr. Segura was in attendance, but did not wish to speak. Deputy Mayor Theresa Bergeron – who lives in South Mountain – commented that she thinks the proposal is a great idea, especially since Dr. Segura would be putting a significant investment into a building that has been vacant since it suffered a fire in 2023.
Next came a significant milestone for the Township – a presentation from the Conseil scolaire de district catholique de l'Est ontarien (CSDCEO), which is the French Catholic school board operating in the local area. Representatives from the CSDCEO pitched the idea of a new, modern French Catholic school in Winchester, serving children in kindergarten right up through grade 12. There would be many planning considerations for such a school to be built, and many of these were outlined by the CSDCEO representatives during the delegation. The goal would be to have the school constructed and ready to accept students by September of 2029.
The next steps in the proposed project would be to make a formal application to the Ministry of Education, and continue the consultation process. Councillor John Lennox commented that the project is an exciting idea. He asked whether the school would bus students from other North Dundas towns besides Winchester, and the representatives confirmed that this could be possible, though the primary focus would be those who could walk to school, since Winchester students currently enrolled in French Catholic school must take a lengthy bus ride.
Another point mentioned by the CSDCEO representatives is the fact that their schools are “open for business”, welcoming community users and third party childcare operations. Deputy Mayor Bergeron had positive thoughts about the idea, and Councillor Matthew Uhrig was also optimistic, suggesting that having other partners advocating for the project would help. Council agreed to a resolution confirming their support for the project. The CSDCEO has a dedicated webpage with updates on the project, located at https://winchester.cdsceo.ca
The next item on the agenda was a presentation regarding the installation of a new entrance culvert for a property on Armstrong Road. The motion was approved. Other routine business followed, including an update to a bylaw regarding entrance permits. Council also passed a motion regarding amendments to the Township’s Recruitment and Selection, Salary-Wage Administration, and Employee Corrective Action policies.
The Township’s policy on unclaimed remains was discussed next, referring to cases when a resident of North Dundas passes away, but no one is willing to handle the funeral arrangements. In such a case, a form is filled out and sent to the Human Resources Department of the City of Cornwall, who in turn would bill the United Counties of SD&G if the case met all the criteria for an indigent burial. Council approved a motion to send a letter to the three funeral homes in North Dundas, and one located in nearby Metcalfe, instructing them not to contact the Township of North Dundas in such cases as the Township has noting to with handling unclaimed remains.
A discussion related to the tricky situation for pedestrians in Hallville became slightly heated when Councillor Lennox questioned why talks between council members and Township staff have become circular and repetitive regarding the location of crosswalks. “So you’re telling me that the speed radar that’s across from Loughlin’s... is capturing people... the 80% who are speeding, because that’s bullshit,” said Councillor Lennox, provoking an immediate correction from Mayor Tony Fraser, to which the Councillor responded with “sorry Mr. Mayor”. The Councillor then continued on by saying that because of the positioning of the speed radar sign so close to the intersection of County Roads 1 and 43, it is virtually impossible for northbound vehicles to gain enough speed before passing it to have excessive speed flagged – the Councillor himself has tried on numerous occasions. He therefore concluded that the speeders captured on radar would only be southbound vehicles on County Road 1, calling into question the validity of claims that 80% of total vehicles are speeding.
Councillor Lennox further remarked that Hallville residents are getting fed up with the back and forth related to the County Road 1 crosswalks, particularly when the proposed plan to put one at the intersection of Kerrs Ridge Road seems infeasible. Deputy Mayor Bergeron agreed with this latter point, calling the intersection a “horrible” spot for a crosswalk. Councillor Uhrig echoed Councillor Lennox’s point – saying he was “astounded” that the location of the crosswalks was again being discussed as it was already discussed earlier this year. Councillor Gary Annable gave a brief comment of agreement as well. Mayor Fraser suggested a “friendly amendment” to the motion to put the crosswalks at St. John Street (as originally proposed) and Wylie Way instead of Kerrs Ridge Road. Following the passing of the motion, the Mayor discussed various options to increase safety for pedestrians in Hallville, noting that it may not be best to have traffic safety put within the purview of recreation staff, even during recreation projects.
Another item on the recreation agenda was an update regarding necessary upgrades to the Chesterville Arena. Recreation and Culture Director, Meaghan Meerburg reported that the Township’s application for grant funding was rejected. Deputy Mayor Bergeron was annoyed by this, since South Dundas was recently approved for funding for the same grant for the Morrisburg Arena. Other external funding will be sought, and if unsuccessful, council will be consulted for next steps. In another motion, Council quickly approved an emergency request for $9,000 in funding for a compressor rebuild at the Winchester Arena.
Other routine business was discussed, with several motions discussed and passed quickly, as always. The meeting ended with a closed session related to employee relations. Another meeting took place during the daytime on August 11 to discuss urgent municipal business, but it was not lifestreamed for residents. Residents can watch most council meetings on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEHN4uflBAU-2WZCe2LcyOQ