By Jenn Watt
Published Sept. 11 2018
The following are brief reports of items discussed at the Sept. 5 meeting of Highlands East council.
Highlands East council will be investigating whether a parking area can be made at the Lewis Road boat launch on Paudash Lake and asking staff to report back on all boat launches in the municipality regarding signage and parking.
The decision came following a meeting Deputy Mayor Suzanne Partridge had with about 40 residents in the area of Lewis Road which is on the west side of Paudash Lake.
Signage on Dyno and Lewis Road has been directing a lot of traffic to the launch Partridge said and residents didn’t think there was enough room for all of the cars.
“Their concern is the parking and people when it gets to be two or three vehicles in there with trailers on them people have to use adjacent property owners’ driveways to turn around” she said.
Partridge said there were several ways to access Paudash Lake including other more equipped boat launches and removing the signs to the Lewis Road launch could alleviate some of the pressure.
In preparation for the council meeting Councillor Cam McKenzie said he attempted to find the boat launch but couldn’t. He said promoting fishing in Highlands East was important to local outdoors tourism and that the solution could be better parking.
Councillor Joan Barton said removing signs to a public boat launch wasn’t a good practice and that when that happens it can blur lines between public and private property. She agreed that parking would be a better step to take.
Councillor Cec Ryall suggested that staff look at all municipal launches and report back on signage and parking.
Council passed two resolutions: to investigate parking specifically at the Lewis Road launch and to have staff report on the state of all municipal launches including parking and signage.
Highlands East will be putting on a special viewing party for CBC’s Still Standing featuring Wilberforce on Oct. 30 at 7 p.m. at the Lloyd Watson Centre.
Still Standing features comedian Jonny Harris who tours small towns in Canada interviewing local characters and then putting on a toast to the community. The upcoming episode was filmed in May of 2017.
Council decided the municipality would put aside a small amount of money to provide refreshments to the public during the event with all donations going to the food bank.
Chris Baughman acting fire chief told council that the fire chiefs from across Haliburton County would be talking over the winter about aligning their open air burning regulations.
“The goal is to clarify and to have consistency throughout the county with our bylaws. Burn times fire size definitions for what is or is not permitted during a total fire ban similar wording and signage will all be addressed” Baughman’s report to council says.
