Brock Township’s public works committee has given preliminary approval to lease a piece of municipal land to a GTA-based construction company for the purpose of reconstructing the Talbot Dam, near Gamebridge.

The property, located off Ball Avenue near County Road 48, is largely forest land and backs on to property already owned by Parks Canada. Ted Chant, project manager for EDCJV construction, says there is a tight right-of-way into the Parks Canada property but accessing the area would be difficult with construction equipment and materials. Chant approached the township committee Monday (Sept. 10) hoping to convince the municipality to lease the land for the project.

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Parks Canada has been, for more than a year now, undertaking a significant refurbishment and upgrade of the Trent Severn Waterway and its water management infrastructure. 

Chant explained that access to, and the use of the Parks Canada lands to the south of the dam at Lock 38, is an integral part of the overall construction delivery plans. 

“Use of the existing right-of-way for access from Highway 48, while possible, is clearly not an ideal solution.”

He said if an agreement could be reached, the company could construct and access road on the property as well as staging areas for construction materials. They would clear the land but leave a three-metre tree screen around the perimeter.

With the conclusion of construction in the fall of 2020, all imported granule materials would be removed from the site and all disturbed areas graded to drain, top soiled, and seeded, he said.

According to Parks Canada, the Talbot dam was originally constructed in 1905 and has only undergone one minor rehabilitation since then. Investigations conducted have determined that the dam requires replacement. The dam is comprised of two sluices and will be replaced in phases so that water flow can continue to flow through one sluice of the dam even while construction takes place. Chant said the heritage look of the dam would be retained in the new construction.

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