GORDON/BARRIE ISLAND—After a recent meeting with members of the community, including Amish residents who drive horse and buggy and the farming community that operate slow moving vehicles, Gordon/Barrie Island township council passed a motion that should help alleviate safety concerns.
At a regular meeting last week council passed a motion to make a request to the Ministry of Transportation (MTO) to allow for a driveway entrance permit on property adjacent to Highway 540 prior to the Ice Lake Causeway for those travelling by horse and buggy. The MTO was also requested to post ‘slow moving, horse drawn vehicle’ signs on the highway.
About 25 members of the community took part in a meeting at the Gordon Hall recently. Lee Hayden, reeve of Gordon/Barrie Island, Ken Noland, reeve of Burpee and Mills, along with Bill Orford and Ian Noakes, members of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture, chaired the meeting.
“We would like to welcome everyone here tonight to talk about what can be done to provide more safety for those people who drive slow moving vehicles, tractors and horse/buggy,” said Carrie Lewis, CAO of Gordon/Barrie Island. She explained that several people in the township have raised concerns with the safety of those operating all slow-moving vehicles as there have already been several close calls.
As was reported previously, Gordon/Barrie Island township council had directed staff to make it known to Emcon and the MTO of its serious concerns that ‘slow moving, horse drawn vehicle’ signs need to be posted on Highway 540 at the Ice Lake Causeway. He had explained there is a family that recently moved into the house at the corner of the Ice Lake Causeway that use the road to get to and leave their property. There are no shoulders on the causeway road and this poses a high-risk with vehicles travelling along both sides of the road.
“This is a very important issue for our municipality,” stated Reeve Hayden. “We love having our Amish friends and neighbours living in our township, and we are concerned that they and our farming community members must be safe there and throughout the township.”
Reeve Noland said a similar safety concern came up in Burpee and Mills township a few years ago. “We worked with community members and the OPP (Ontario Provincial Police) for options, and it was recommended that LED yellow flashing ambers lights be installed on the horse drawn buggies, along with slow moving vehicles being posted in key areas to make members of the community aware of the changes. We worked with our Amish residents to have the lights installed on their buggies. These lights are phenomenal at night,” he said.
“Farm equipment is not getting smaller,” said Mr. Orford. He explained a car travelling 80 kilometres per hour coming up on a tractor travelling between 20-40 kph from 100 metres back takes six seconds to catch up to. And a horse and buggy doesn’t travel 20 kph, so it is a considerably shorter time length.
“All it takes is when someone is coming up behind a horse and buggy or slow-moving vehicle in their car/truck is to answer their cell phone or grab for their coffee, and they are right behind the vehicle in front of them,” stated Mr. Noakes. “This is a major issue,” he said.
“We, as a township, are almost to the point that we will put up a sign,” said Reeve Hayden. “There is going to be a serious accident on the Ice Lake causeway.”
A member of the meeting asked whether there has been any discussion of using the old private concession road prior to the causeway (travelling from Gore Bay) that could be used as a road for the residents who have recently moved in at the corner. This, they suggested, would allow them to avoid the causeway and get to their property safely.
“My suggestion is for a small bridge be installed that only a horse and buggy could travel on,” said Mr. Orford.
“The majority of the drivers that come up on us in our horse/buggy are good. But I’ve come pretty close in the summer to being hit by an oncoming vehicle, in broad daylight,” said one resident.
“All of these safety measures could be expedited by contacting our MPP,” said one resident.
Mr. Noakes said on some Island roads the shoulder is not more than 1.5 feet in width. “If you are driving a heavy equipment vehicle on the side of the road and a vehicle comes up behind you and doesn’t want to slow down and the driver of a large vehicle tries to move over, you can lose your vehicle. Drivers need to slow down when they come up on large agricultural vehicles.”
Heather Jefkins said, “I have personally had close calls on Highway 540 between here and Kagawong on our tractor. Some people just don’t slow down when they come up on agriculture vehicles, and they will pass them on corners and hills. It makes me uncomfortable for you guys that are on the road all the time with your (slow moving) vehicles.”
“Some people have no respect for farmers. You can’t fix stupid,” said one resident.
“Some drivers will see a tractor, say, 100 metres down the road and won’t slow down and will continue and pull over to pass without knowing what is coming at them in the other lane,” said Mr. Noakes.
It is the same with other farm equipment and people passing school buses, said Mr. Orford.
“We appreciate all of your concerns as horse and buggy users and the agricultural community,” stated one resident.
