CP Scoop - January 16th, 2024

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MUNICIPAL NEWS

Family Day Movie Afternoon

Join us on Family Day, February 19th, 2024, as we proudly present our first Indoor Movie of the Year: Trolls Band Together!

Show time: 2:00 p.m.
Admission: FREE, Donations are appreciated
Capacity: 200

There will be a snack canteen on site.

For more information, visit the event page on Facebook, or contact: Jessica Hansen / jhansen@carletonplace.ca / 613-257-1704.

 

PROVINCIAL NEWS

Notice of Study Commencement and Public Information Centre - Highway 7 and Highway 15 Intersection Improvements, Detail Design and Environmental Assessment Study (GWP 4084-16-00)

The Ministry of Transportation (MTO) has retained WSP Canada Inc. (WSP) to undertake the Detail Design and Environmental Assessment (EA) Study for improvements to the intersection of Highway 7 / Highway 15 and Highway 7 / McNeely Avenue in the Town of Carleton Place (GWP 4084-16-00).

The purpose of this notice is to inform the general public of this study, the upcoming public meeting, and to provide an opportunity to provide any comments, questions, or concerns.

The scope of work includes the following components:

• The addition of a continuous through travel lane, as follows:
  • Highway 7 westbound (WB) from approximately 380 m east of McNeely Avenue to 270 m west of Highway 15;
  • Highway 7 eastbound (EB) from approximately 240 m west of Highway 15 to the Highway 7 / 15 intersection;
  • Highway 15 northbound (NB) from approximately 770 m south of Highway 7 to the Highway 7 / Highway 15 intersection; and
  • Franktown Road southbound (SB) for approximately 410 m north of Highway 7 to the Highway 7 / Highway 15 intersection.
• The addition of a dual left turn lane, as follows:
  • Highway 7 WB, Highway 15 NB and Franktown Road SB at the Highway 7 / Highway 15 intersection; and
  • Highway 7 WB and McNeely Avenue NB at the Highway 7 / McNeely Avenue intersection.
• Elimination of the channelized right-turn lane on Highway 7 WB onto Franktown Road with a controlled right turn lane at the Highway 7 / Highway 15 intersection;
• Elimination of the channelized right-turn lane on Highway 15 NB onto EB Highway 7 with a controlled right turn lane at the Highway 7 / Highway 15 intersection;
• The addition of sidewalks on the north and south side of Highway 7; and
• Improvements to the Highway 7 / Highway 15 and Highway 7 / McNeely Avenue intersection pedestrian crossing locations to meet the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) requirements.

In the interim, the two-way left turn lane will be reinstated from Highway 7 / Highway 15 to Highway 7 / McNeely Avenue intersections. In the long-term, a raised median will be installed along Highway 7 corridor from McNeely Avenue to Highway 15 to improve safety along the Highway 7 corridor. At that time, access will be restricted to right-in, right-out along Highway 7. A raised median will also be installed on Highway 15 / Franktown Road from just south of the future Captain A. Roy Brown Boulevard to Findlay Avenue.

PUBLIC INFORMATION CENTRE

A Public Information Centre (PIC) will be held to provide an opportunity to review and comment on the proposed design, and construction staging, anticipated and potential environmental effects, and proposed mitigation. The PIC will be held on Wednesday, January 24th, 2024, from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Carleton Place Arena – Bob Rintoul Hall, 75 Neelin Street in Carleton Place, Ontario. Members of the Project Team will be available at the PIC to discuss the study with you and answer any questions you may have. Following the PIC, digital copies of the PIC display materials will be posted to the project website at www.hwy7-15ea.ca. You are encouraged to review the PIC materials and provide any comments or questions to the Project Team, via the project website or at the contact information below by February 7th, 2024.

THE PROCESS

The current study is following the Environmental Assessment process for a Group ‘B’ project in accordance with the Class Environmental Assessment (Class EA) for Provincial Transportation Facilities (2000), with the opportunity for public input throughout the project. The preliminary design was documented in a Transportation Environmental Study Report (TESR), which received environmental clearance in 2020. An Addendum to the 2020 TESR was completed in 2023 to determine if any changes to the 2020 Recommended Plan were required as a result of changes from the Town’s Transportation Master Plan that were not previously considered. The TESR Addendum received environmental clearance in 2023.

Upon completion, a Design and Construction Report (DCR) will be prepared to document the Class EA process followed, including a description of the Recommended Plan, potential environmental effects, and a mitigation plan. The DCR will be filed for a 30-day comment period. At that time, notices will be published in a local newspaper, letters will be circulated to the study contact list and the project website will be updated to explain the review process and how the DCR can be reviewed.

COMMENTS

We are interested in hearing any comments that you may have regarding this study. If you wish to obtain additional information, provide comments, or to be added to the study mailing list, please contact one of the Project Team members listed below or visit the project website.

Mr. Mark Velicevic, P.Eng.
Consultant Project Manager
WSP Canada Inc.
6925 Century Avenue
Mississauga, Ontario
L5N 7K2
Phone: 1-289-835-2629
E-mail: hwy7-15ea@wsp.com

Mr. Peter Fraser, P.Eng.
MTO Senior Project Engineer
Ministry of Transportation – Eastern Region
1355 John Counter Boulevard,
Postal Bag 4000
Kingston, Ontario
K7L 5A3
Phone: 1-800-267-0295
Email: hwy7-15ea@wsp.com

Information will be collected in accordance with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. With the exception of personal information, and other protected information, all comments will become part of the public record. If you have any accessibility requirements in order to participate in this project, please contact one of the Project Team members listed above.

 

OTHER NEWS

Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit - National Non-Smoking Week Theme Raises Awareness About NRT

Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) is well known as a way to help smokers in their journey to be nicotine-free. It is important to understand how NRT works in your body to help you be more successful when using it. It also helps if you follow the instructions provided by your quit coach or health care provider with each product for the best results.

For National Non-Smoking week, the Health Unit is providing information about some common myths about NRT and quitting smoking.

Myth: Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) doesn’t work.

Truth: NRT works. NRT can double a smoker’s chances of quitting smoking for good. Many smokers find NRT helps them in their journey to quit by reducing the roller coaster effect of stopping and starting smoking. Every person is different. It might be worth trying NRT to see if it’s right for you. Even if you tried NRT before, it might be worth trying again. NRT will help you the most if you use it as directed by your quit coach or health care provider. NRT works by replacing some of the nicotine you used to get from cigarettes, so you don’t feel as uncomfortable while you are quitting.

Myth: Using NRT will stop me from having withdrawal symptoms or cravings from quitting smoking.

Truth: You may still have withdrawal symptoms or cravings while using NRT. Try to be patient. Most people find withdrawal symptoms especially difficult the first week or two (2) after quitting. Most smokers find withdrawal symptoms less intense when using NRT. If withdrawal symptoms continue a few days after you start using NRT, talk to your health care provider or the Health Unit. Some NRT products (gum, lozenge, inhaler) work better if they are not used at the same time as soft drinks or fruit juices. It is safe to continue using NRT even if you slip and smoke one (1) or two (2) cigarettes. Staying on NRT increases your chances of getting back on track with your quit attempt.

Myth: I can only use one (1) NRT product.

Truth: NRT products can be used safely together. For example, you might use long-acting NRT such as the patch with short-acting NRT such as a lozenge. Some people find both a long-acting patch and short-acting gum to be useful when cravings are high to handle withdrawal symptoms and fight off cravings.

Myth: NRT is too expensive.

Truth: A Health Unit quit coach or your health care provider can speak with you about options for NRT. There are Ontario programs that can help with free NRT. 

Myth: Smoking/vaping helps me relax.

Truth: This is one (1) of the biggest myths, in fact, it does the opposite to your body. Smoking makes your heart beat faster, your breathing quickens and your blood pressure rises. Stopping what you are doing to smoke/vape gives you a break from work or something causing you stress and takes your mind off your worries. You can accomplish the same results without smoking or vaping and a quit coach can help!

Myth: Switching to vaping is healthier if you want to quit smoking.

Truth: There is no real evidence that vaping is safe. Quitting altogether is best but you may find reducing your consumption to be an option you can handle. Here are some tips if you think switching or reducing is your best option:

• Switch completely to vaping (use of both cigarettes and vaping increases risk)
• choose low nicotine content products
• reduce use & manage cravings
• consider an approved quit product like nicotine patches or gum
• If you don’t smoke, don’t start vaping

“Quitting smoking or vaping can be one of the most difficult things to do,” says Debbie McIntyre, Public Health Nurse and Certified Tobacco Educator at the Health Unit. “It can take a few tries before you succeed. Each time you try to quit, you increase your chances of being smoke-free for good,” adds McIntyre. “Making the decision to quit is a personal choice. Preparation and planning can increase the chances for a successful quit attempt.”

Any attempt to quit smoking or vaping is a good decision for your health.  For more information, visit the Ready to Quit page on the Health Unit’s website or Don't Quit Quitting | Online Tool to Help Smokers Quit (dontquitquitting.ca). You can also call 1-800-660-5853, extension 2121 or follow LGLHealthunit on Facebook and Twitter or @lglhealthunit.z on Instagram for important public health updates.

Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit Will No Longer Update Weekly Immunization Summary

The Weekly Immunization Summary Report data represents vaccination information reported in COVaxON. The majority of COVID-19 immunizations are now done outside of public health. As a result, all counts may be subject to varying degrees of underreporting or error due to a variety of factors. Because of this, COVID-19 immunization coverage data is no longer updated and reported as of January 16th, 2024.

The Ministry stopped reporting on vaccine rates as of December 1st, 2023.

More information about statistics and other public health dashboards is available on the Health Unit’s website: Health Statistics & Reports - Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit

Please Note: This email is not regularly monitored. Email: acharania@carletonplace.ca. Federal, Provincial, and Other news items are provided impartially, as a convenience and as a means of sharing information from higher levels of government and partner organizations.