By Chad Ingram

Published May 26 2016

The following are brief reports of items discussed during a May 19 Algonquin Highlands council meeting.

After a number of draft revisions since April council passed a parking bylaw for the township its first.
“This is not about making sweeping changes in Algonquin Highlands” said Reeve Carol Moffatt. “We need a parking bylaw as a business tool. This bylaw allows us to have control over where we have signs.”
A few problematic areas in the township such as the boat launch and dock area at Little Hawk Lake are ultimately behind the creation of the bylaw. In these areas residents often leave boat trailers parked throughout the summer season leaving other residents to park their vehicles along roadways causing congestion.
Signage will be erected at these problem areas. The bylaw also prohibits parking near the township’s dry hydrants.
Fines range from $15 (reduced to $10 for voluntary payments within seven days) to $300 for parking in a disabled parking space without a permit.

Museum expansion

Members of the Dorset Heritage Museum are planning an 800-square-foot addition to the building.
Costed at approximately $73000 the addition will provide fire-secure storage for records a workspace for the processing of new acquisitions and additional area for displays.
The money will come from reserves the museum’s reserves currently sitting at approximately $83000. With council’s support the project is moving to the next phase of engineered drawings.

Web cams

The township will install web cameras at the Stanhope Airport and on the Dorset tower at a cost of approximately $14000. The camera at the tower will be operational once new fibre-optic cable is installed at the Dorset Recreation Centre as part of the county’s new broadband expansion project with Bell. Once the cable is installed there will be enough bandwidth for a wireless transmitter to beam signal to the tower.

Canoe lessons

Local adventure company Yours Outdoors will give canoe lessons at the Frost Centre this summer in a pilot project with the support of the township.