MAPLETON – Reconstruction of five and a half kilometres of Sideroad 15 is set to be supported by provincial Housing-Enabling Core Servicing (HECS) funding.
Of the expected total project cost of $1.46 million, HECS will cover $914,000, the Ontario Community Infrastructure fund will cover $373,000 and local development charges will cover $176,000.
The above was included in the 2025 budget.
During a regular meeting on May 13, council gave Mayor Gregg Davidson and township clerk Larry Wheeler the go-ahead to execute a HECS transfer payment agreement.
“As part of the transfer payment agreement we’re required to pass a council resolution that authorizes the mayor and clerk to execute the agreement,” said township treasurer Patrick Kelly.
“Once it’s executed and goes into the hands of the ministry … they’ll transfer 25 per cent of the total grant into our accounts so that we can start paying the costs associated with Sideroad 15 works.”
Road reconstruction
The portions of Sideroad 15 set to be reconstructed are:
- from Wellington Road 8 to Concession 12;
- Concession 5 to Hollen Road; and
- Hollen Road to Concession 6.
The work includes pulverizing the existing pavement, adding 150mm of granular ‘A’ material, applying a 60mm HL4 hot mix asphalt overlay, upgrading the gravel shoulders and work on the ditches.
According to the report, this work “will enhance safety, improve access and extend the lifespan of the roadway.”
Councillor Marlene Ottens noted “I noticed in this contract it said that is would be awarded by Sept. 30, 2026 … Do I assume it will happen sooner than that?”
“The grant funding agreement gives us leeway in the time frame in which we complete the works,” Kelly said, but he deferred the Ottens’ questions to public works director Jamie Morgan.
“The pulverizing is going to be starting by the end of May,” Morgan said.
“We haven’t scheduled the paving yet – we’ve got gravel to put down and one culvert to replace before we move forward with that … Completion date for that is the end of August (2025), before the school buses start rolling.”
Housing-Enabling Core Servicing funding
The HECS funding stream is meant to help municipalities build, maintain and repair roads, bridges and culverts.
“Successful projects will unlock new housing opportunities and ensure communities have safe and reliable roadways and transit infrastructure,” states a Mapleton finance department report.
Overall, the HECS funding is set to include $400 million over three years through an application-based system under the Municipal Housing Infrastructure Program.
