Craigleith residents say highway plan could destroy character of village
A group of residents in the village of Craigleith are concerned that the widening of Highway 26 will have “serious repercussions,” on their community.
Elton and Rita Matthews, Lori King and Lucy Richmond are members of a group who are petitioning the province to lower the speed limit along a section of the highway. The group is also against the proposed widening.
“They are posting 80 (km/h), but they are doing 100, 120,” Rita said. “It needs to drop down to 60.”
Richmond said two accidents occurred along the stretch of highway in Craigleith last week, and she’s seen a number since she’s lived in the area.
“My concern is for safety of the community,” she said in an interview with Simcoe.com.
The province is proposing a four- or five-lane road from Collingwood to Thornbury along the shoreline.
Recently council did direct staff to work with the province and neighbouring municipalities to “investigate potential options and alternatives,” to the widening.
The group has delivered flyers to local residents, held a meeting and is getting signatures on a petition to send to the province.
Richmond said they are also calling on the province to look at alternatives, such as a bypass or a new highway, similar to what they did in Collingwood on the eastern portion of Highway 26.
“Give us an expressway,” Richmond said. “Does everybody from Tobermory to Toronto, Barrie to Owen Sound, need to come through Craigleith?”
Richmond would like to see the costs of widening the road in comparison to building a new highway.
A concern for residents is how a widened highway will affect the character of the village.
There are currently three major housing developments planned for the area that would bring hundreds of new homes.
The needs assessment provided included in a June 4 staff report to the Town of the Blue Mountains council, said about 73 per cent of the 406 properties along Highway 26 would be impacted if the widening were to occur.
The project could also leave 297 properties sterilized.
According to the report, the widening could also drop the assessed value from $225 million to $119 million.
Elton said that the widening of the Highway and the proposed development, could lead to the “erosion,” of the village atmosphere.
“Erosion of that will destroy it forever,” he said. “Our position has been since 2005, lower the speed limit, don’t widen the highway.”
King said when she moved into her home on Highway 26, she quickly realized there is a tight-knit community in Craigleith.
There are also concerns that the widening could have environmental impacts on the surrounding area.
The municipality has asked the province to undertake an Environmental Assessment process in 2019-2020.
Deputy Mayor Gail Ardiel met with the minister of transportation at the Rural Ontario Municipal Association Conference in January.