Petition launched to continue ferry study

February 17, 2010

By Jeff Helsdon
Staff Writer

A Vienna resident is leading a petition calling on Bayham council to reconsider its decision not to proceed with the second phase of a feasibility study looking at the possibility of a cross-Erie ferry.
The issue at heart is Bayham council deciding by a 3-2 vote in January that the second phase of a feasibility study into the ferry wouldn't go ahead. The study was set up in such a way that if the first phase didn't show the ferry to be viable, then the second phase wouldn't go ahead. Federal and provincial funding paid 90% of the costs, with Bayham and other neighbouring municipalities picking up the remainder of the costs.
Doug Park is the son of former Port Burwell harbourmaster Bruce Park.

"He pushed for the ferry in the late 1960s and ran into trouble with the Ministry of Transportation," Park said of his father.
"At that time, in the late 1960s, you had the coal boat coming across and there was a ferry dock on the west side."

Park grew up in Port Burwell and then moved to St. Thomas before moving back to Vienna more recently. He pointed out he hasn't seen much change in Port Burwell in the last 40 years except for the establishment of the provincial park and the windmills being built.

The petition Park launched garnered 266 names in a week.

"We believe that a 3-2 vote by local councillors, and a split decision by the chamber of commerce members, should not decide the fate of phase 2 of the cross-lake ferry proposal," he said.

"We believe that more input from the public should have taken place when money was put in place by federal and provincial governments to take both phases forward."

Park also pointed out several local mayors and Grand River, Ohio Mayor Chris Conley wanted to see the second phase completed.
Is reconsideration viable?

What if Bayham council was to reconsider its decision? Is the money still available?

A spokesperson from Elgin-Middlesex-London MPP Steve Peters' office reported enquiries to the Ministry of Agriculture Food and Rural Affairs resulted in an answer that as Bayham was approved for the full amount of the study, they should be eligible to continue with phase two. However, since council indicated it didn't want to continue to phase two after phase one said it wasn't viable, they would have to demonstrate why they know think it is viable.

MPP Joe Preston said if council reveresed its decision, he would go to work for them. He predicted there would be questions about why the second phase was initially turned down.

"If there's something there that would drive economic development, I'm all for it," he said.

That said, Preston said he read the report and didn't disagree with council's decision.

"It sure said to me it probably wouldn't work. If that's the case from a good conservative frugal point why would we spend more money to find out more facts. But, that's council's decision."

Anyone wanting to know more about the petition can contact Park via e-mail at dougpark@gmail.com.