Opening Day June 2, 2023

Weir Dam “in relatively good shape.”

Park received close to 10,370 visitors from May 21 to Oct. 9, 2022.

Article by John Campbell

Trent Hills - Tues., May 16, 2023 - Having been assured that the weir dam at Crowe Bridge Park is in relatively good shape, Trent Hills has agreed to operate the park for another five years.
Council voted last Tuesday in favour of extending the park’s lease after receiving word from the park’s owner, the Crowe Valley Conservation Authority (CVCA), that the dam’s concrete is “in fair to good condition” and that any corrective action that needs doing can be done over the next decade.

In a staff report to council recommending that the municipality agree to the longer contract, chief administrative officer Lynn Phillips said the weir dam assessment completed earlier this year determined it is “structurally sound” and that the park “may continue to operate as an attraction.”

The municipality’s one-year lease to operate the park last summer expired in April and a continuation of the arrangement that began 10 years ago hinged on the results of an inspection of the dam that was done last summer.

CVCA General Manager/Secretary-Treasurer Tim Pidduck said 14 “concrete deficiencies” — cracks, scaling and spalling – were identified, but “there are no signs of failure or slippage at the structure.”
An “unusual” U-shape crack in the dam’s west portion in addition to spalling will need to be fixed in the next five years at a projected cost of $110,000. There are also 13 cracks that will require repairs in the next six to 10 years at an estimated cost of $39,000.
“These timeframes are estimates, and could be extended if there is no further deterioration or potentially compressed if through monitoring there appears to be accelerated deterioration.” Phillips wrote.

The projects are eligible for funding support through the Water Erosion and Control Infrastructure program, she said, and municipal staff, in partnership with the conservation authority, “will identify potential funding opportunities to complete this work in the coming years. The repair of the weir dam will likely be funded through a combination of a contribution from the WECI program, capital use fees, and the municipal tax levy.”

Crowe Bridge was closed for two years in response to the pandemic before re-opening in 2022.
Phillips said staff have developed a plan to operate the park “in a similar manner to last year as a paid attraction.” Trent Hills residents will be able to purchase passes at the municipal office; “visitors may pay a fee at the gate.”
Planned capital improvements for 2023 include permanent fencing along the road. A “few standard improvements” will be implemented as well, such as additional signage.

In a report to council last November, Community Recreation Officer Peter Burnett said the park’s re-opening, made possible by having staff on site to control access, “proved to be a success,” as close to 10,370 visitors were received from May 21 to Oct. 9.

When asked this week by Councillor Rick English if the park’s attendance ever reached its maximum number last year, Burnett said it had on “a few days … mainly on hot, long weekends.” He explained the maximum is based on the number of vehicles, including buses, that the parking lot can handle.

Deputy Mayor Mike Metcalf said “it’s nice to get into a five-year plan instead of year by year” so that the municipality can make plans for the long term.
Burnett said staff are investigating various kinds of improvements to the park’s operation “to make it more efficient.”