Restoule residents call public meeting on proposed logging roads

by Laurel Campbell

Apr 10, 2008

RESTOULE – A proposal by Nipissing Forest Resources Management (NFRM) that would see two new logging roads established through the Restoule community has local residents hitting the streets with petitions in hand and a public meeting planned for Tuesday, April 15.

“We have about four pages of signatures now, and we expect to have a lot more before the April 23 public information meeting,” said Restoule resident Scott Westall, who is determined that area residents will have their say about the road proposals. “If you think we have a lot of signatures now, just wait until the ratepayers who own cottages here get involved.”

Last month NFRM received approval from Nipissing council to open a road allowance from Hwy. 534, to be used as a 10-year logging road to access Crown land around the Sand Lake area. At the time, local residents had not been informed of the plans, and have since found that a second logging road is planned that will see trucks run through the hamlet of Restoule.

“I’m really concerned about safety,” said Westall. “This second road route will bring trucks right down the main street, past a ball field, the fire department access, two churches, and over the bridge. There’s also a lot of driveway entrances along there that aren’t that visible. Life will not be the same for the next 10 years if this is allowed to happen.”

NFRM had claimed safety reasons for requesting the use of the Nipissing road allowance, citing the need to have a logging route that would not take trucks through Restoule village, “but now they propose another road that will do just that. It doesn’t make sense,” said Westall.

Restoule residents were further angered when they learned that a public information meeting being held by NFMR at the Restoule Legion on April 23 would not allow any public presentations by those in the area who had concerns.

“We need to make our voices heard,” said Westall, “not just listen to a public presentation and then be told we have 60 days to send in written submissions. This is an issue that needs to be dealt with publicly. There are still a lot of people in the community, a lot of summer residents, that know nothing about this.”

Westall has organized a public meeting to be held on April 15 at 7 p.m. at the Restoule legion and encourages all interested residents to attend.

“We need to get our ducks in line, and make sure our message is clear and concise,” he said. “We have every right to be able to make a presentation on April 23. As taxpayers, NFMR needs to listen to us. We need to go into that meeting as a group, with one voice, because if we just go as individuals, they will tear us apart.”

In addition to safety concerns, Westall is also worried about how the logging trucks will impact the local roads. “Ultimately, the condition of our roads will be left in the hands of our ratepayers,” he said. “NFMR has told me tht there will be another information meeting in September where we will see the final proposal for these roads, but by then it will be a done deal. We can’t let it get that far before we have a chance to have our say.”