Notes from the regular meeting, which was held on Wednesday, February 5, 2025.
Council Member reports
Councillor Nancy Demarest shared that the Blenheim District Home and School Association is looking to raise $100,000 to build an outdoor education centre at the Blenheim District Public School.
“It’s a pretty exciting project,” said Demarest. “I know that this has been in the works for a couple years now, and they would certainly appreciate any support from the community or businesses in the area.”
According to a document published by the association, the priority is to create a supportive learning environment where students will have a variety of opportunities to connect with each other and enrich their academic experience at the school.
“Our goal is to raise $100,000 to build an outdoor education area where our students will strive in the best learning experience that includes an outstanding play-based learning area,” the document reads. “We are reaching out to our community partners to ask for your help in achieving our fundraising goals. Your generosity can make a significant impact on the lives of our students, helping us to provide them with the best possible education and prepare them for a bright future.”
Plans for the outdoor education centre will be done in three phases and will include an accessible gaga ball pit and an outdoor classroom with a chalkboard in phase one, a wooden play structure and weaving panel in phase two, and native tree plants and social seating in phase three.
Staff reports
Drainage Services monthly report for January
The report, prepared by Adam Degier, Blandford-Blenheim’s Drainage Superintendent, provided the following update in regards to the activities of the drainage services department.
Township of Blandford-Blenheim Council received a petition in regards to improving what is known as the Sparks Drain, which resides in the area of Lot 10 Concession 3, in December of 2024.
The drain was constructed in 1915 and was later abandoned in 1999, after which it became a private drain for residents in the area.
The Grand River Conservation Authority was then notified of the petition, and Council has not received any request for cost benefit statements or environmental appraisal since then.
Given the above, staff recommended that Council appoint Kitchener’s K Smart & Associates Ltd. to prepare a new drainage report for Sparks Drain, and to bring it to Council at a later date before moving forward.
Council voted unanimously to receive the report and approved the appointment of an engineer.
Community Services report for the months December and January
The report, prepared by Trevor Baer, Blandford-Blenheim’s Director of Community Services, provided the following updates in regards to the activities of the community services department.
Playground Projects:
- Princeton Playground Project: Equipment installation began as planned, but was temporarily paused due to weather. While much of the equipment is in place, work will resume in April, as weather permits, to complete the flooring and install the final two pieces.
- Plattsville Playground Project: The grand opening is in the works, with staff coordinating with the relevant parties to finalize the date, and updates will be shared once confirmed.
“The main part [of the Plattsville Playground] is pretty much done,” Baer told councillors. “We just have put it in two benches but other than that, that’s it. We need to do a grand opening with Trillium, but with the election coming up, it’ll be put on hold until after the election.”
Community Partnerships:
Staff is continuing to actively explore partnerships with local community groups to enhance services and facilities, and discussions are ongoing to identify collaborative opportunities that will benefit the residents of Blandford-Blenheim.
“We’ve reached out to a few community groups, one was the Agriculture Society to see what we can do with their hall for programming for our township,” said Baer. “They’re looking at what we can do for them and what they can do for us, so we’ll be bringing a report back about that.”
Staff also recently met with the Conestoga College Co-op program to explore possible student placements for the Township.
Baer explained that while one person was interviewed, the student ultimately determined that the organization was not the right fit for them.
Township staff remain optimistic about the collaboration and will continue to explore opportunities with the Conestoga Co-op program in the future.
Plattsville Arena Activities:
The arena saw increased community usage over the holiday period, and hosted seven additional community-sponsored skating sessions. Baer said these sessions were well-received, and reflected the importance of the Plattsville Arena as a community hub during the holidays.
Parks and Recreation:
Staff are engaging with local baseball groups to plan for the 2025 season in regards to park space, and to ensure that the community’s recreational needs and expectations are met.
Baer adds that the department is committed to ongoing community engagement and will provide further updates as more information about returning teams comes back.
Council then unanimously voted to receive Baer’s report.
Public Works monthly report for January
The report, prepared by Jim Borton, Blandford-Blenheim’s Director of Public Works, provided several updates on ongoing capital projects, shared services, and other key developments within the public works department.
Capital Projects:
- Princeton Pond Expansion: Pond construction is complete. Once weather allows, work will continue with the installation of a head wall and outlet, along with some piping for the next phase to connect.
- Princeton Phase 4 (South Section): The tender for Phase 4 officially went out on January 30 and will close on February 20. A report on the results will be presented to the Council during its regular meeting on Wednesday, March 5.
- Bridge 24 Environmental Assessment (EA): Draft reports have been sent for comments to various stakeholders including the GRCA, Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation DOCA, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), Ministry of Citizenship and Multiculturalism (Heritage Division), and Six Nations of the Grand River .
Borton’s report noted that some of the comments they have received may lead to delays as the various stakeholders have questioned if additional reports are required. He said that staff are working with the contracted firm and K Smart to address these concerns with the hopes of dispelling the need for further studies. - Bridge 38 Deck Repair: Some work has been completed but due to weather conditions in December, bridge repairs will be postponed until spring, when weather is more predictable.
County Shared Services and Road Association:
- Shared Services Meeting: The committee met in East Zorra-Tavistock and was joined by the OPP’s Tony Hymers to discuss the 2025 Half Load season. Key topics included response expectations, mapping issues, and coordination between Public Works and OPP officers.
- Road Association: The Oxford Association met in December to discuss weather stations that could be deployed around the County from a new company in the area. The company produces snow removal equipment and mechanical street sweepers.
- Association of Ontario Road Services (AORS): The next meeting is a virtual session in March, and AORS staff are focused on advocacy and the Municipal Public Works training program.
Drainage:
- Adam Degier, Drainage Superintendent, has been reviewing the Township’s Environmental Compliance Approval (CLI-ECA) to make sure it’s up to date. As well,
Deiger is looking at legislation related to Storm Water Management (SWM) ponds. - Inquiries about drains are being reviewed, with repairs planned once the weather improves.
Other Updates:
- December and January saw winter conditions with snow and cold temperatures. Staff have been working extra hours to keep Township roads safe for drivers.
- Work on the 2025 operating and capital budgets are currently still ongoing.
- Staff are reviewing Environmental Assessment documents for Bridge 24 and working on road permits for Xplorenet’s fiberoptic cable project.
*Xplorenet has recently been working to install tubing before the cables officially go in. - The team is collaborating with suppliers on future equipment purchases and integrating asset management programs into road and winter patrols.
- Efforts are ongoing to identify suitable dump sites for excess soil from the Princeton Drain project.
- Staff continue to meet with landowners to address ditch and road concerns.
Borton said these projects and initiatives are progressing steadily, and further updates will be shared as developments occur.
Kimberly De Jong’s reporting is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative.The funding allows her to report rural and agricultural stories from Blandford-Blenheim and Brant County. Reach her at kimberly.dejong@brantbeacon.ca.
