Council Approves Back up Plan to Preserve Mill

Karen Graham

Despite media reports to the contrary, at the last Council Meeting our municipal representatives took a step to protect the grist mill building, not destroy it.  A letter from ORCA CAO Dan Marinigh had been received that day, seeking financial support for a last ditch effort to avoid the outright demolition of the buildings.  After issuing a request for offers of purchase mid-July, ORCA had received an offer from the Save the Dam Mill Pond group which was rejected due to the nature and extent of the conditions it contained.  An extension for bid submissions was granted to give the group time to submit an offer that met ORCA’s own conditions: one that contained firm timelines and explicit actions.  As no such bid had been received, ORCA sought financial help to buy time to prevent the outright demolition of the buildings.   A second offer has since been received, which will be considered at the Thursday August 20th Board meeting.

As the legal owner of the buildings, ORCA must address the outstanding Unsafe Building Order. The agreement struck between the township and ORCA on August 4th is Council’s own “Plan B”.  They have agreed to share the cost of dismantling, and storing the core building, which is the grist mill, and all salvageable portions of the peripheral buildings for future use. The process would be meticulous, including cataloguing each piece of the building with photographs to allow its reconstruction at some future date.  The peripheral sections including the sawmill, the machine shed, veranda and penstock would also be dismantled and any useable materials such as beams and boards would also be salvaged but in a less meticulous manner.  This move is designed to protect the historical building.  By offering to fund half of the cost, Council is buying time for any interested party to raise money and get organized so they can proceed with a plan of their own if the outstanding offer is rejected by ORCA on Thursday.

Millbrook Councillor Ryan Huntley, a staunch supporter of the preservation of the Mill who also sits on the ORCA board as the township’s representative, is a firm supporter of Council’s decision.  While he believes that the best outcome would be a successful bid from the Save the Dam Mill Pond group that meets the needs of ORCA, with this agreement in place, there will be time to develop a viable alternative should the outstanding bid fail.

Ideals and worthy goals drive Candidates and Local Community Groups

(Editor’s Editorial)

It has been inspiring to speak to local candidates explain why they are running in this federal election. They have plans; they have goals; they want to make a difference. It is encouraging, to say the least. Some of their goals are the same- they speak of decent jobs and fairer taxes, but their solutions differ depending on their philosophy. It all sounds good, but the devil is in the details.   Fortunately we have plenty of time to sift through the rhetoric to identify the candidate who best embodies the ideals we want represented in Ottawa. It’s the least we can do, given their personal commitment to the political (on-call 24/7) lifestyle.

The Save the Dam Mill Pond group is also full of ideals as they seek to preserve a unique part of our local history. They are to be applauded, and if their offer to purchase the Mill is accepted at this evening’s ORCA Board Meeting, they will need our support. It is refreshing to see a community group with big plans put their money where their mouths are, step forward and take on a big project with potentially even bigger impact. Instead of wagging fingers at those who could not support the Mill purchase, let’s be grateful that, unlike a government bureaucracy, if successful this group will have the freedom and the opportunity to build their own dream, based on their own vision, with limited liabilityand tender issues. They can just get to work!

It’s easy to dismiss big ideas as impractical, unreasonable or unworkable. Let’s not get too cynical just yet. Big plans are rarely easy to implement. Let’s be problem solvers and imagine “how to” instead of focussing on the roadblocks. We’ve got a dam in the works, what’s next?

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