Lakefield Herald Special Report

Indian River speed limit considered by DD Council

by Terry McQuitty

Douro-Dummer Township held an information session on Tuesday evening regarding safety concerns on the Indian River between the village of Warsaw and the Warsaw Caves.

Reeve J. Murray Jones made it extremely clear at the beginning of the session that no decisions would be made on Tuesday night and the purpose of the meeting was to gather information.

Last summer Dorothy Tuckerman approached council with the idea of implementing a speed limit on the Indian River.

The concern was a family that used personal watercrafts (PWC) in an unsafe manner, especially in the vicinity of Quarry Lake.

Quarry Lake is a stretch of the river that is approximately 800 metres long by 100 metres wide. This part of the river is wider and deeper than the rest of the waterway and therefore is a popular swimming hole.

The concern is that boaters and PWC operators are not paying attention and swimmers, canoeists and kayakers could get hurt or even killed.

Tuckerman appeared before council on Tuesday evening to reiterate her concerns. She commented that most local residents are very respectful, but there are always a few who cause problems.

Tuckerman said that the safety issue will only increase as development occurs along the waterway.

John Good, Douro-Dummer’s representative from ORCA also made a brief statement on the speed limit issue. Good’s message was quoted from a letter dated September 24, 2007.

The letter stated that ORCA was in support of a speed limit on the waterway for both safety reasons as well as environmental impact of the significant lands that abut the river. High speed boating can disturb wildlife and their habitats.

Wayne Atkins, Boating Safety Officer for Transport Canada was present at the session to explain the procedure of implementing a speed limits on a waterway as well as alternatives to speed limits.

Atkins took a boat ride on the Indian River earlier on Tuesday to see the section in question first hand. Atkins said “In my opinion this is a bad intersection.”

Atkins posed the question, should we act now or wait for a severe accident?

Atkins went on to explain boating restrictions. These restrictions range from schedule one which would not allow any boats on the waterway to schedule six which would impose speed limits. Schedule six is the option which is under consideration.

Atkins also explained vehicle operation restrictions (VOR) which are necessary in order secure the schedules for boating restrictions. VOR’s reflect safety, public interest and environmental concerns.

Atkins said that if council was to request a speed limit for the Indian River, the best argument would be safety and public interest.

Atkins also told the gallery that the process is not a speedy one and implementing a speed limit would take at least two years to become law.

Applications would have to be submitted to his office by September 1 and would have to be processed by September 15 which would make the chances slim for a speed limit to be in place this year.

Atkins gave a number of alternatives to imposing a speed limit stating, “It is sometimes easier to educate than legislate.”

Signs at launch areas stating that boaters should be aware that there are swimmers, canoeists and kayakers on the waterway would go a long way to slowing boaters down.

Private buoys are another option. These buoys could be placed in strategic areas with signs warning boaters to slow down for safety reasons.

Neither of these options are enforceable, however most boaters are conscientious and would pay attention to the warnings.

Chris Foster of the Peterborough County OPP unit submitted a letter to Douro-Dummer council on June 30, 2008 basically stating that the Indian River did not require a speed limit.

The crux of the letter stated that the river is not conducive to large watercraft, launching is difficult and the geography of the river does not allow for excessive speed.

The audience in the gallery were of mixed emotions regarding legislating a speed limit and at times the discussions became heated and personal.

Some believed that safety measures are up to the individuals and others believe that authorities should legislate safety measures.

As Reeve Jones stated, no decisions were made Tuesday evening.

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