Blind River council has approved an exemption to its noise bylaw following a request from Carlington Construction for work it is doing in its contract for the Causley Street bridge rehabilitation.
The company requested council approve the exemption for work planned to take place on the bridge on Sunday, July 22. The town’s noise bylaw prohibits work involving above average noise being done on a Sunday.
Mayor Sue Jensen, in introducing the request to council at its meeting Monday evening, noted the work has started on the busy Highway 17 corridor.
“As we all know the construction is progressing along,” the mayor told council of the request from the company for Sunday work on July 22.
She also noted that because of the short construction season in the north, the company was requesting the exemption to move the work ahead faster.
Deputy Mayor Ken Kennedy asked that the work would not require full closure of the bridge to traffic and was assured two lanes would remain open.
Coun. HP Roy felt Sunday work would interfere with resident’s normal activities such as attending church services. He said the contractor agreed to provisions in the town bylaw not to work on Sundays.
“Within two weeks of signing this contract they’re asking us to forget about that part of the contract,” he said. “I don’t think it’s going to save us any money to do it this way. It will save them because it’s a subcontractor who wants to come in an do it on a Sunday.”
'The people of Blind River, we’re going to be through this until October, and then maybe on for two years. To do this on a Sunday which is our time of rest, church, I don’t know if I can support this.
Coun. Steven Wells supported the exemption.
“I do know we have a fairly short construction season and they just started to work on July 5 concerning the location of the bridge, I’m not sure how much noise will be involved. A one-day exemption doesn’t bother me.”
Coun. Paula Summers also agreed to the exemption.
“I feel this is something that needs to be done in a timely manner,” she said. “I think in the long-run it’s going to help us.”
Coun Clifford Spratt said, “residents would be happy if this contract could be done a day sooner and maybe working on a Sunday will allow it to be done a day sooner.”
“This is going to be a pain in the butt for quite a while. I’ve got no objection of work being done on a Sunday. It won’t bother me in church,” Coun. Spratt added.
Council approved the exemption with Coun. Roy acknowledging his opposition in a non-recorded vote.