Marissa Lentz

'People often talk about what this town is lacking compared to a big city, but I only see what big cities lack when compared to Kirkland Lake and the surrounding area,'writes one of the winners

KIRKLAND LAKE - After several months of debating, Kirkland Lake has decided against participating in a provincial low-speed vehicle (LSV) pilot program.

The town's airport was used 52 times from January to March, 41 of which were for medivac purposes

KIRKLAND LAKE - A new report has some council members considering the future of the Kirkland Lake airport.

Here's who's on the ballot so far

Advertisement 1 Share this Story : Agency puts up $740K for repairs at historic château, Kirkland Lake still leaving facility Agency puts up $740K for repairs at historic château, Kirkland Lake still leaving facility Author of the article: • Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Article content Even though a provincial agency is committing over $700,000 for repairs at a historic château in Northern Ontario, the municipality remains committed to ending its lease agreement. Advertisement 2 Article content Agency puts up $740K for repairs at historic château, Kirkland Lake still leaving facility Back to video Even with the repairs slated for Kirkland Lake's Sir Harry Oakes Château, the mayor said it doesn't impact the town's decision to pull out of the facility. The château was built by Oakes, an eccentric prospector who was later murdered in the Bahamas, and also houses the Museum of Northern History. A group of concerned residents are still investigating a not-for-profit charitable status to save the museum and its artifacts. The OHT confirmed it is funding about $740,000 in repairs at the chateau this year. “The château's unique log construction and its association with Sir Harry Oakes and the development of Kirkland Lake is significant, and the trust continues to be committed to the long-term conservation of the site,” OHT's David Leonard, senior marketing and communications specialist, told TimminsToday Advertisement 3 Article content In March, Kirkland Lake council received an OHT-funded building condition assessment that revealed significant repair costs totalling $1.2 million. At the time, the town said there was a shortfall of approximately $950,000 for the essential repairs, noting that sustaining operations at the château was untenable. At the meeting, the town ended its lease agreement for the château with the OHT. The Museum of Northern History is open to the public throughout the summer, with operations ending on Sept. 1. The town is leaving the property by the end of the year. Leonard said there will be work done to repair and stabilize elements of the front porch, rear balcony, north retaining wall and selected hard-scaping, as well as repairs to areas of the roofing and water goods, like the gutters and downspouts. The work is expected to be done by the end of 2024. Advertisement 4 Article content The project has been in development since 2022, said Leonard. It was tendered earlier this year and was awarded to Roof Tile Management who are working under the supervision of Stevens Architects. “Conversations are ongoing with Kirkland Lake regarding the property,” Leonard said. While the town is pleased about the repairs, Mayor Stacy Wight said “it doesn't change the conditions set out in the leasing agreement.” “We look forward to seeing the relationship develop between concerned community members, their corporate partners, and the OHT,” she said. Town staff will continue to help during the process, Wight said. The building is nearly a century old and was built by Oakes, who became a multi-millionaire during Kirkland Lake's gold rush. He built the home in 1929 to use during visits to his mining properties. His permanent home was in Niagara Falls. Advertisement 5 Article content In 1934 Oakes moved to the Bahamas as a protest against the Canadian tax system and was knighted by King George VI in 1939. Four years later, Oakes was murdered at his Bahamas home. The crime remains unsolved. The Town of Kirkland Lake has overseen operations of the château through a lease agreement with the OHT since 1981. Concerned residents have created a group called The Oakes Project: Heritage, Arts and Tourism (TOPHAT) to save the museum. One of TOPHAT's members, Martha McSherry, said the group is investigating a not-for-profit charitable status. “Corporate discussions are in the very early phase, but so far positive as our mines support mining heritage and see a fit with their environmental, social, governance commitments,” she said. “We're also in discussions with the town on their role or part going forward. We're committed to a win for each partner involved, understanding each perspective and negotiating the preservation of Kirkland Lake's gem of a museum.” Article content Elliot Lake Standard is part of the Local Journalism Initiative and reporters are funded by the Government of Canada to produce civic journalism for underserved communities. Learn more about the initiative Share this article in your social network Share this Story : Agency puts up $740K for repairs at historic château, Kirkland Lake still leaving facility Comments Join the Conversation Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion. Please keep comments relevant and respectful. Comments may take up to an hour to appear on the site. You will receive an email if there is a reply to your comment, an update to a thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information. Loading... Latest National Stories News Near Elliot Lake This Week in Flyers

Advertisement 1 Share this Story : Investing in Matheson 'worst decision' resident says she's made Investing in Matheson 'worst decision' resident says she's made Landlord shuts down four rental units citing expensive water fees Author of the article: • Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Article content A northern Ontario woman is calling for change in the municipality's water, sewer and garbage bylaws, citing detrimental effects on her rental property. Advertisement 2 Article content Investing in Matheson 'worst decision' resident says she's made Back to video Pauline Francis shared her story at the June 25 Matheson council meeting, explaining that because her property is multi-residential she's being charged for four sewer and water lines despite only having one of each. As a result, Francis said she was forced to shut down her business. The municipality said looking into the request is going to be a lengthy process. “My husband Garth and I made an expensive decision in 2015 to completely renovate our building in order that we be in a position to offer accommodations, since accommodations are few and far between in this area,” Francis said. “We invested in this community and made ourselves a part of this community. Fast forward to 2023, and we can honestly say investing in this town was the worst decision we have ever made, especially with a town that is not invested in us.” Advertisement 3 Article content When the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing declared the Matheson council seats vacant, provincial bureaucrat Kathy Horgan was appointed to make decisions until new members are sworn in. At the June 25 meeting, Horgan said they'll talk about next steps at their next council meeting on July 23. For 2023, the township's annual water fees and charges for multi-residential properties (two or more units) were $645 per unit while sewage fees and charges were $586 per unit. In addition to looking into the three bylaws, Francis also asked the town to “come to a more reasonable fee schedule and billing done quarterly over 12 months as opposed to” the municipality's current billing over six months. Last year the Landlord and Tenant Board allowed Francis to increase rent by 2.5 per cent for each unit. Advertisement 4 Article content “With the cost you are billing us for the water, sewer, and garbage, it is just not feasible to operate our business. Last year, as you know, you passed a water, sewer, and budget in the combined amount of 7.8 per cent. For me that is 7.8 per cent times four. Combined with the proposed tax levy increase, I had no choice but to shut down my business for financial reasons,” Francis said. Because there's only one water line, Francis said the building's water pressure is extremely low. “The way this has been set up is that we have to share our water line and sewer line with other units which means I would have to prepare a schedule for whose turn it is to have a shower, do laundry, wash dishes, etc,” she said. “This does not justify the amount the township are charging us. If the township wants to bill us for four services, I think we should physically have four services.” Advertisement 5 Article content Francis said her husband asked for water metres for 20 years. Matheson CAO Chris Wray said producing a report isn't going to come quickly. In most communities, residents pay a percentage of the water usage for sewer, which makes “an awful lot of sense,” Wray said. Before that can happen, he said the municipality needs an understanding of how much water is being used. “That does not mean that that is the amount of water that's in this case being produced by our water systems, because between the systems and the user, you're losing water, much like you do with electricity systems,” Wray said. “We have leakage. We have no idea what the leakage is. None. And so before you even do that, the very first thing you want to do is a leak study.” Advertisement 6 Article content Kirkland Lake is facing similar water woes. Earlier this year, a town report showed that the nearby municipality is losing about 50 per cent of its treated water due to unknown breaks. It's estimated the cost to fix the water pressure and volume issues is $10-15 million. Matheson director of infrastructure James Mousseau said the township has a leak detection study on their radar and agreed with Wray that the best way to do sewage is to show that as a component of water. “The other point I would make is just we would have to look at costs too. If we're looking at water meters, if we're looking at putting new services in, there is work to be done right. There's digging, there's repaving in some cases and whatnot, that all has to be factored in as well,” he said. “So it would all go into, you know, the first year rates or whatever to recoup those costs and then a regular rate or fee going forward based on the usage on what we produce is the plan.” Article content Elliot Lake Standard is part of the Local Journalism Initiative and reporters are funded by the Government of Canada to produce civic journalism for underserved communities. Learn more about the initiative Share this article in your social network Share this Story : Investing in Matheson 'worst decision' resident says she's made Comments Join the Conversation Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion. Please keep comments relevant and respectful. Comments may take up to an hour to appear on the site. You will receive an email if there is a reply to your comment, an update to a thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information. Latest National Stories News Near Elliot Lake This Week in Flyers

Landlord shuts down four rental units citing expensive water fees Article content

Article content COCHRANE – After recently adding a Black Hawk helicopter to its fleet, a Northern Ontario company is already chopping down forest fires across Canada.

From a private island to a property with its own walking trails, the Highway 11 corridor in Northern Ontario has a number of unique properties for sale right now.