Ritchot’s council hosted a special delegation at their May 22 meeting which once again resulted in a full council chamber. Many of those in attendance were residents who live along Marchand Road. They were represented by delegate and neighbour, Jim Wilderman.
A 30-year owner of his property along this stretch of gravel road, Wilderman presented a growing issue that appears to have no end in sight.
The concern, he told council, is the perpetual and constant flow of heavy trucks along Marchand Road, making the rural countryside almost impossible to enjoy.
The constant flow of tandem trucks, he said, appear to be headed to three sites at the end of the road where, to his knowledge, unwanted fill is being collected in dumping zones.
For residents here, their once bucolic road has turned into a major truck thoroughfare.
“Depending on the wind direction, either north or south, residents cannot breathe,” he told council. “The dust has been significant enough that three weeks ago I had to stop working in my backyard because my breathing was impaired to the point of constant coughing.”
The interior of homes along this stretch aren’t impervious to the dust either, he added. Windows have to remain closed at all times and Wilderman’s grandchildren, who live next door, can’t play in their front yard during trucking hours.
Marchand Road, too, is in a constant state of disrepair, making it at times a real safety hazard for locals. Walking or biking during truck traffic is another hazard no one is willing to risk.
As evidence of his claims, Wilderman says he counted 192 trucks passing by his home on April 24. Most of them were exceeding the speed limit and many fail to stop at the stop sign just up the road.
“What I know [about the truck drivers] is that they prefer McDonald’s over Burger King,” Wilderman says. “Some get the drink with the plastic lid and straw, some drink canned drinks with an apparent preference for Pepsi. Some use napkins and they prefer Kirkland bottled water and have no preference as to where they leave it on the road. Thankfully, no beer cans.”
Based on Wilderman’s assessment, the three dump sites in question are receiving fill and rubble, including concrete, from Winnipeg construction sites. He is unsure of the owners of two of the sites. The third, he said, is owned by a family named Sumka.
All three of the dump sites exist right next to the Red River. Several of the dumping areas lie only 350 feet from the river’s edge. Wilderman shared his concerns that these act as threats to the riverbank’s integrity.
As well, he told council, berms being created by the dumping have caused the natural flow of water towards the river to change, resulting in regular water backup along one area of Marchand Road.
Wilderman informed council that, at site number one, the original owner attempted to secure a building permit from the RM. But when it was denied, he still sold the property as a buildable lot.
“The area being filled is approximately 200 [feet] by 70 [feet],” Wilderman said. “If the owner elevates the area by 12 feet, which is way lower than his present hill, it will require 66,766 yards of fill or 6,676 tandem loads of fill, meaning that trucks will pass by the front of our yards 13,352 times.”
Using the same calculations for site numbers two and three, Wilderman estimates that an additional 10,000 tandem trucks will pass by their homes before they are done.
Through the use of a Power Point presentation, Wilderman demonstrated photos taken of the Sumka property where the area’s elevation level already towers above the river level.
“There doesn’t appear to be any valid reason for elevating other than disposal,” Wilderman said. “When I asked Mr. Sumka four years ago when he would be finished hauling, his reply was, ‘Never.’ More recently, he indicated to a neighbour that he would continue until the day he dies.”
In Wilderman’s view, fill collection has become a lucrative business endeavour.
“It costs $92 per ton to get rid of clean fill at our dump,” Wilderman says. “With a minimum of ten tons on a tandem, more if concrete, that would be around $920 per load. I’m not sure the dollars involved in fill disposal, but the numbers are significant.”
First and foremost, Wilderman says he and his fellow neighbours would love nothing better than for council to create policies which limit fill hauling along this stretch to the winter months when families are inside and the road is frozen.
He also had a few more recommendations for council.
Firstly, he said, property owners should be required to hold building permits in order to raise their property elevations. This would help deter sites from becoming dumping zones in the first place.
As well, limiting the height to which sites can be elevated and making regular site visits to ensure compliance would be useful. This would guarantee that hauling cannot go on indefinitely.
Land studies should be done, he added, to ensure that proper drainage is occurring and riverbank integrity is not being compromised.
Mayor Chris Ewen responded, assuring Wilderman that councillor Janine Boulanger has been lobbying on behalf of the residents of Marchand Road for some time now. He indicated that council is interested in addressing the issue at the next public works planning meeting, after which a plan of action would be forthcoming.
“Public works has been working on a hauling permit, so there is action going on in the background,” Boulanger told those gathered. “A lot of the staff is aware [of the problem] and we’re just trying to find the proper solution. These are great suggestions that we’ll bring forward as well.”
