Loss of connecting link funding "˜severe"™, councillor says

A Wellington North councillor wants ratepayers to know the impact a decision by the provincial government to end grants for provincial road upgrades or reconstruction that run through his local community will have.

Councillor Andy Lennox said it is time residents were made aware of the provincial government decision to discontinue its Connecting Link program which paid 90 per cent of road work needed.

“It’s going to cause severe financial difficulties,” Lennox told council.

Pointing to some $1 million needed to repair the Rick Hopkins bridge at the south end of Mount Forest on Highway 6, Lennox said the township can’t afford to do the work. Paying out a million to rebuild one bridge would constitute all capital road projects the township plans to do in a year, he said.

“There’s been no awareness from the province announcing this,” he said of the discontinued connecting link funding program.