County News
A bend in the creek
Wellington creek to be rerouted
Just before Lane Creek empties into Lake Ontario, the wee waterway flows underneath several buildings as it passes through Wellington’s core. But not, it seems, for much longer.
Where once builders accommodated nature and its meandering ways—now it is nature, and more specifically the creek, that must bend.
Late this summer construction crews will arrive to reroute Lane Creek down Wharf Street and crossing Main Street. The plan calls for bypassing the convenience store and physiotherapy clinic before reconnecting with the creek downstream. The waterways beneath these buildings will then be abandoned—relics of a more flexible era.
Work to reroute the creek is expected to take about 90 days beginning in late summer, in an attempt to avoid the busy summer period. The County has budgeted $640,000 for the project to be paid out of gas tax funding.
A public meeting to lay out the creek rerouting plans will be held in Wellington in the near future.
This is absolutely absurd and must be stopped. Please re-consider this!
I cannot begin to understand this step backward in time!? How did decades of development take place with at least a modest concern for the best interest of the stream considered but now someone somewhere determined spending $640 000 of tax payer money to COMPLETELY reroute this stream without identifying (at least outwardly) why it’s being done and what affect it will have on the yearly migration of these important species is a good idea?! Hopefully they hear enough of us questioning them and back peddle on this horrible horrible idea!
The article tells us what they want to do, but there is no information on the reasons why they think it needs to be done and how it benefits the community. $640,000 sqandered to interfere with a fish spawning creek that existed before the area was developed? A creek that was previously protected and valued enough that developement took place with consideration for the area?
I think some tough questions need to be asked about who this benefits and why the municipal government would support it, let alone pay for it. With the revenues the fishing industry brings into the county it seems short sighted to jeapordize a spawning area in favour of developement. I’d like to hear how they think this will benefit the citizens so much that it’s worth spending that money to alter the course of the creek.
Who decided to spend good money on this? If one were to spend that amount on stream improvements rather than destruction think of the benefits it would give.
Since this creek runs through PRIVATE property why is $640,000 of public money being wasted on this ridiculous project? I have contacted Quinte Conservation to ask if they are aware or approved of this project and await a reply.
The creek has been there longer than any of the structures over it and should be left alone as previous comments have suggested.
This is a very irresponsible decision to reroute a stream, that is a fish habitat, when waterfront land owners can get in serious trouble for altering their property.
Who decided to pay $640,000 of our tax money to do something so counter-productive? Give your head a shake guys. Leave the stream alone and go fix some pot holes.
I don’t even know where to begin on this one… Destroying one of the few remaining streams int he area that supports a migratory fish run, for no purpose at all?
I agree this has to be stopped to protect the fish in this creek. Our fisheries are an insanely valueable resource and it depends on the health of our tributaries for these migratory fish. Re routing this creek could ruin the entire spawn for several species of fish.
This is absolutly insane. That river is the home to a ton of migritory fish like rainbow trout(steelhead) and salmon which are a very valuable resource for contribution to Lake Ontario trout and salmon fishery. We spend thousands each year to stock these fish yet take away productive spawning grounds this is unreal
I have to wonder exactly whos brain storm of an idea this is, and for what reason they would even feel the need to do such a thing to a thriving and viable trout stream . There is an old saying and that is, If it isnt broken then dont try to fix it!!
I just cant believe anyone who lives in this village could possibably be in favor of this project its wrong on so many levels, a needless waste of tax payers dollars with no bennifit to anyone except maybe some contractor who gets paid to dig up lay pipe and repave the streets.
Please please please tell me this is just some April fools joke and say it isnt so that our town council will even entertain this idea let alone think about doing something like this.. Have there been any impact studies done yet by the MNR or the enviroment people??……… This is a trout stream, its a waterway. its a link to the eco system. and its a needless waste of funds that we dont have .
Something sounds VERY FISHY HERE!!! and they arnt thinking about the fish or the stream. Just try to get a permit to dig out around your boat dock and see how fast you get shut down and here thay want a permit to change a whole stream we need to act fast on this one to get it shut down before it ever gets started. this is no joke here this stream has flowed for hundreds of years even to the point where they built structures over it we all know that would never happen or be allowed this day and age please do not allow them to change the way a stream runs for no apparent reason.