MORRISBURG – With the holidays behind them, South Dundas Council got back to business with their first regularly scheduled Council meeting on Jan. 21, 2026.
Duncan St. right of way
At their meeting on Nov. 26 Council discussed how to deal with an existing right of way which gives access to the St. Lawrence River that exists between two residences on Duncan St.
At that time staff were instructed to bring back a report with a resolution so that Council could provide them with clear direction as to how they wished to proceed. At the November meeting staff provided a report with three options:
- Close the right-of-way and sell half to each [neighboring] property owner
- Sell a portion of the right-of-way to each [neighboring] property owner
- Enter into encroachment agreements with each property owner
Staff recommended option one, and using the proceeds of the property sale to be reinvested in Duncan Park, which is a short distance from the right of way.
In discussion, Deputy Mayor Marc St. Pierre and Councillor Tom Smyth were in favour of option two, which would see a portion of the right of way being sold to each adjacent property owner while the Municipality would retain a smaller right of way that would still allow access to the river. Councillors Cole Veinotte and Danielle Ward preferred option one, selling the right of way in its entirety, which left it up to Mayor Jason Broad to break the tie.
“I’ll be consistent from the last time I wanted to keep a piece of that property. So, I’ll, in this case, break the tie and say we go with option two, sell a portion and retain a portion,” said Mayor Broad.
By-Law No. 2026-06 Park Use By-Law
David Jansen, Director of Parks, Recreation, & Facilities provided an action report on the proposed Park Use By-Law being a by-law to enact rules and regulations with specific provisions within open parklands within the Municipality of South Dundas including the penalties for offences.
The report is a direct follow-up to the discussions held at the Oct. 29 Council Meeting regarding beach control measures and safety concerns at the Morrisburg and Iroquois waterfronts.
The draft by-law was reviewed by both the Morrisburg and Iroquois Waterfront Committees, and the general feedback regarding the proposed regulatory structure was positive.
Following a professional legal review of the draft, staff made minor updates to align the document with ongoing provincial case law and appeals regarding shelter rights.
The updates resulted in the removal of specific camping restrictions that were present in earlier versions. Staff have no concern with these edits as control of this issue was not the primary objective of the by-law for the Municipality at the present time.
Director Jansen noted that the by-law is designed to be a “live” document that can be adapted via Council resolution as the Municipality’s needs evolve. Staff recommend a phased enforcement approach, with 2026 being a “learning year” focused on public education and warnings rather than strict enforcement for minor infractions.
To educate the public, staff will launch a communications campaign using social media and news releases to explain the new rules to residents and visitors. The primary goal is to manage the initial learning curve and ensure long-term compliance through educational outreach. New signage will also be purchased and installed in spring 2026.
Deputy Mayor St. Pierre suggested that a definition of “events and activities” be included for clarification, which Director Jansen agreed could be done.
The motion was passed without further discussion.
Key information report – St. Lawrence Parks Commission Water and Sewer Project update
CAO Benjamin de Haan updated council on the St. Lawrence Parks Commission (SLPC) water and sewer project through a key information report, outlining progress, concerns and next steps.
In July 2025, the Ontario government committed $82 million to SLPC to upgrade water and wastewater infrastructure, including new connections to municipal systems in South Stormont and South Dundas. The funding is intended to address long-standing infrastructure deficiencies, improve environmental performance and support future development across SLPC properties.
South Dundas received the project design brief and drawings in early December, as SLPC has been prioritizing work in South Stormont with construction targeted for 2026. Municipal staff have begun a preliminary technical review and are pursuing an independent third-party assessment to ensure the designs meet municipal standards and integrate with existing systems.
Regular meetings are now underway involving South Dundas, South Stormont, SLPC, Infrastructure Ontario, Colliers International and the engineering teams to review design progress and provide coordinated feedback.
With the design drawings now available, SLPC has confirmed it is requesting South Dundas assume ownership and maintenance of all infrastructure installed within municipal rights-of-way, as well as municipal-standard pump stations proposed for Upper Canada Village and Cedar Riverside Campground.
De Haan noted concerns about the long-term operating and replacement costs associated with the new infrastructure. SLPC has indicated it does not want to impose additional costs on existing ratepayers and is willing to work with the municipality to address those concerns.
To better understand cost recovery, staff are considering retaining a third party to conduct a rate study to recommend appropriate user fees. At this stage, only SLPC properties are proposed to connect to the system, although SLPC has indicated it is pursuing future investments that could increase usage.
The scale of the system, combined with relatively low and seasonal flows, is also expected to create additional operational and staffing pressures, which will need to be factored into overall costs.
Discussions have also explored adding additional users to spread costs, including potential industrial, commercial and residential properties along the County Road 2 corridor and within Riverside Heights. De Haan cautioned this may be challenging, as roughly 80 per cent of lands in the corridor are provincially owned, limiting municipal influence over future development.
SLPC and Infrastructure Ontario are seeking to finalize a connection agreement with South Dundas before March 31. Given the project’s complexity, an exact connection fee may not be defined under existing bylaws by that time, though SLPC has indicated an estimated fee would be acceptable. Staff expect to bring a draft agreement to council in February.
Council was also asked to provide direction on whether staff should informally gauge interest from Riverside Heights residents and other potential users along the corridor regarding future connections to the system.
“What we’re really looking for right now with Council is are we comfortable reaching out to the residents of Riverside Heights and other potential residents or developments that exist within that corridor to understand if there’s an interest in connecting,” said de Haan. “I think that’s an important part of this discussion because if we know there is a potential finding out that the residents of Riverside Heights say no, we’re good. we all have brand new septic systems and wells, and we don’t believe that this is an important infrastructure for us. That really does start to frame the discussion with St. Lawrence Parks Commission and where we may or may not have the demarcation point of ownership.
“It’s a very interesting time to ask that question because we have just gone through a pretty dry summer where a lot of people have experienced issues with the wells,” he continued. “So, if there was ever a time where people recognize the value of being connected to municipal water, it’s right now. So, I think we will I would anticipate we’d have good input and I would hope, well it’s really up to the residents how they feel about it, but I would anticipate again that people would be interested just based on the risks that that are involved with groundwater source.”
Mayor Broad agreed that it was worthwhile reaching out to residents of Riverside Heights in order to start building a database of interested parties.
Councillor Ward agreed as well and suggested going beyond an information letter. “Just knowing the area of Riverside well, it would probably serve us well to do some sort of information open house,” said Ward. “There’s a lot of seniors that live there and they might want to have a better understanding of what you’re asking. Sometimes the communication in a letter doesn’t come across the way that we want it to.
“So, just a suggestion, you know, to get the feedback might be best to have an open house at the at the Riverside Hall. I just think that might be a good way to connect with them.”
Terry Tinkess is a professional photographer, educator and journalist. He has been making a living with a camera and keyboard since 1999 and has been featured in such publications as The Ottawa Citizen, Cornwall Standard Freeholder, The Globe and Mail, The Miami Herald, Ottawa Construction News, The Ontario Construction Report, Ontario Home Builder Magazine, Reed Construction Data, Canadian Potato Business and most recently, The Record and Eastern Ontario AgriNews. Terry lives in Ingleside, Ontario with his wife Brenda, Mia the anxious Pittie and cats Wally and Chubbers.
