HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1986-10-15, Page 6PAGE 6. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 1986.
$1.9 million bridge to replace Ball's Bridge
BY BILL BRAGG
A four-span $1,888,400 bridge
will be built across the Maitland
Riversouthof Auburnabout 1.5
kilometres downstream from the
existing 101-year-old two-span
Ball’s Bridge.
Project wild teaches teachers
Twenty-five elementary school
teachers from across Huron Coun
ty attended a workshop last week at
the Hullett Provincial Wildlife
Area, south of Londesboro, to learn
how to teach conservation to
students. Several representatives
from the Perth board of education
also attended the four-hour semi
nar, the second such held within
the county by the Wingham office
of the Ministry of Natural Resour
ces.
By exposing educators to Project
Wild, the Ministry hopes to offer
interesting, exciting and fun ways
to convey the concepts of wildlife
and conservation to elementary
W/V7S hears
from A frican
missionary
BRUSSELS MELVILLE W.M.S.
The October meeting of Melville
W.M.S. was held in the church
parlor with nine members and two
visitors present.
Mrs. MacLeod, the president,
opened the meeting by repeating a
verse of Psalm 22 and Psalm 106.
All sang “His name is Wonder
ful’’. The secretary’s report was
read and approved. Anyone want
ing to donate articles to Evangel
Hall is to leave them with any
member of the W.M.S. or at the
church.
Some of the members gave a
report of their bus trip to the Cape
Crocker Indian Reserve and the
Saugeen Indian Reserve. Margar
et McLeod read parts of a letter
from Ellen Waldock who is a
missionary in Zambia. The trea
surer’s report was given by Evelyn
Mair. 1 he collection was taken and
dedicated by Margaret MacLeod.
The roll call was answered by the
word * ‘fruit”. A reading was given
by Ruby Steiss on * ‘ Indians making
the Indian church Indian”. The
hymn, “May the mind of Christ my
Saviour” was sung. The scripture
from Psalm 100 was read by Isabel
Adams. Prayer was led by Ruth
Martin. The topic on Thanksgiving
was taken by Hazel Matheson. The
hymn, “Praise my soul the King of
Heaven” was sung. Mrs. MacLeod
closed the meeting by repeating
the last two verses of Jude. Mr.
John Perrie is to be guest speaker
at the November meeting.
Construction of the bridge over
the next two years was authorized
at the October meeting of Huron
County Council which instructed
County Engineer R. A. Dempsey to
seek 80 per cent funding from the
Ministry of Transportation and
classrooms in the area. A similar
program has been used extensive
ly in the United States, and in other
parts of Ontario.
The goal of the project is to
develop awareness, knowledge,
skills and commitment in people of
all ages, in order that they may
make careful and constructive
decisions concerning the environ
ment around them, upon which all
life depends.
The teachers took part in
discussions, practised games and
hands-on projects, viewed a slide
presentation and were presented
with the Ministry’s manual on how
to set up a classroom project in
conservation awareness.
Glen Sturgeon, conservation
officer-in-charge of the Hullett
Communications.
A feasibility study on the
proposed new bridge and the
future of the old one prepared by B.
M. Ross and Associates Limited,
consulting engineers, of Goderich
was approved.
Wildlife area, told the group that
he always enjoyed talking to
teachers, because they are always
ready to participate and eager to
learn, and represent the front line
in bringing new ideas to the
resource managers of tomorrow.
“ If we can educate young people
today (in conservation), there will
be far less enforcement work
necessary in 20 years, and far more
room for resource management,’’
he said.
The program has the backing of
the district management of the
Ministry of Natural Resources, as
well as the firm support of the
Huron Board of Education,
through Arnold Mather, the
board’s superintendent of pro
gram for the county.
Council accepted the engineers’
recommendation that the old
bridge be retained for at least 10
years and that an estimated $6,200
in maintenance each year be spent
to keep it up to its existing load
standard.
The new bridge will be of
prestressed concrete beams with
open spillway abutments.
The deck surface at the centre
line would be 31.8 feet above the
average stream bottom.
Next step toward construction of
the bridge is the preliminary
design and government approval
process which is expected to take
six months to complete.
In their report, the engineers
noted that the existing bridge was
built in 1885 and is located on a
generally east-west crossing of the
Maitland River.
“The approaches form a lower
standard of road and the alignment
in the east-west direction does not
match well with the remainder of
the township road pattern,’’ the
report said.
“The east approach is a rather
steep 10 per cent hill gradient
forming a ‘T’ intersection with the
north-south county road No. 8 from
Clinton to Auburn
“The west approach winds
around the Little Lakes with the
bulk-of the traffic turning southerly
for approximately 1 km. then
westerly along Concession I and II
to the village of Benmiller.”
Instead of demolishing the old
bridge and replacing it on the site,
the engineers recommended leav
ing it for its heritage and scenic
value and building the new
structure downstream.
Council agreed, however, not to
replace the bridge in case of any
excessive damage or removal by
natural causes. At the end of the
10-year-period the bridge will be
reviewed once again as to whether
it will be maintained for a further
period or closed and/or removed.
BESTRATE
ZK INVESTMENTS
FINANCIAL CENTRE
Goderich
524-2773
1-800-265-5503