No Paving Coming to Quesnel Road
Council discusses but passes on resident petition to pave Quesnel Road.
Other than AirBnBs and an informative presentation regarding the Verner Ram Rodeo coming up this summer, the only other item council discussed this week was a petition received by many residents asking that Quesnel road be paved (between Dutrisac and Nipissing).
The petition stated that they wished Quesnel be paved to make it easier for the municipality to maintain the road as well as making it easier for older residents to breath due to the dust that accumulates.
Council discussed that this road is used as a shortcut to get to certain parts of town.
Staff shared that this particular section is scheduled for a granular resurfacing in 2026 for $75,000. In order to make the road suitable for asphalt paving, much more work would be required. The estimated cost would be $600,000. Overall staff recommended not entertaining the idea of paving this piece of roadway.
Councillor Anne Tessier brought up the question if the city could end up saving on maintenance long term for grading and snow removal if this road was paved.
The CAO suggested that this be brought back as a capital budget option for next year’s budget process. But Mayor Kathleen Thorne-Rochon and councillor Daniel Gagne opined that if there are any options for capital budget improvements at budget time they should be based on the municipal roads study and not based on petitions from residents.
When Councillor Kris Rivard who represents the Quesnel road ward spoke he surpsingling agreed with the other two councillors saying that: “thinking of the municipality as a whole I think we have to spend our money elsewhere and kinda think strategically”. He added “I’ll deal with the complaints as I see fit”. This strange remark in reference to his constituents who obviously disagree with the municipal long-term roads plan was met with laughter from most of council.
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Again Kipling and Paradis are in terrible shape. With very little snow plowing needed this winter, they could at least run a grader over those roads to take out some of the worst pot-holes. They don't have to wait until all frost is out of the ground.
Interesting, that, first of all the meeting was held in English. This is important to note as the WN councillors who sit on the Au Chateau Board want to conduct meeting only in French with Gagne and Dupuis acting as intrepreters. This is important to me as I am English and, up until now all Au Chateau Baord meeting havve been in English. Councillor Jamie Retoule who is on the Au Chateau Board now claims that he is not comfortble speaking English. It is too bad that Mr. Restoule did not inform the English voters of WN that he is uncomfortable speaking English and that his preference is for French only. When challenged Mr. Restoule said that there is an Official languages Act and he has the right to speak the language which is his first language and in which he is comfortable. Unfortunately for Mr. Restoule the Official Languages Act is a federal document that quarantees feredal services in French or Englsih. It does not give anyone the right to use the Act to bully and exclude others from fully participating. And just as a further example of how often and to what extent these WN Councillors bully and intimidate others we have, on video {above] a display of laughing and mocking Residents concerns and arrogantly dismissing concers with , ''I will deal with them {the conplaints} as "I" see fit. This mayor shoud be recalled immediately and another Council elected. When I watch and listen to Council meetings it reminds me of a famous British poem by John Keats, part of it goes, 'The Queen moon is on her thone clustered around by all her stary fays'' All I can say now is that this Council since its dismissal of Ann Tessier as Chair of the Au Chateau Board has proven over and over again that they are a group of hive minded arrognat slef serving bullies.