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in si de ha lto n. co m O ak vi lle B ea ve r | T hu rs da y, Ju ne 20 ,2 01 9 | 12 oakville.ca Gairloch Gardens Shoreline Rehabilitation Open House We're taking steps to build a better shoreline. Join us at our upcoming open house to learn more and share your input: Thursday,ThursdayThursdayThursdayThursdayThursday June 27, 2019 Drop-in anytime from 6 to 8 p.m. The Studio in Gairloch Gardens 1308 Lakeshore Road East The TownTTTTT of Oakville is assessing shoreline protection needs at Gairloch Gardens, located at Lakeshore Road east of Morrison Road. The current shoreline protection measures in place have deteriorated over the years, and this deterioration has accelerated given recent high lake water levels. This open house is a drop-in format where staff and the town's consulting team will be on-hand to answer questions and collect feedback on the preliminary shoreline protection design. Accessibility requirements If you are attending the open house and have any accessibility needs, please let us know as soon as possible by filling out the accessible online feedback form on oakville.ca or by contacting one of the project representatives: Diana Friesen, B.Sc., C.E.T. TownTTT of Oakville 905-845-6601, ext. 3904 (TTY 905-338-4200) diana.friesen@oakville.ca Jane Graham Shoreplan Engineering 416-487-4756, ext. 223, jgraham@shoreplan.com Can't make the meeting? ToTT learn more about the project visit oakville.ca and search "shoreline." Halton's municipalities have teamed up to tell a fed- eral review panel that CN's proposed intermodal hub is "likely to cause signifi- cant adverse environmen- tal effects" if built in Mil- ton. A plethora of docu- ments detailing the wor- ries were recently submit- ted to the panel on behalf of the four local municipali- ties and Halton in advance of a public hearing that's slated to start on June 19 - the next stage of the joint process for reviewing the rail company's plans. The intermodal facility is proposed for 400 acres of CN-owned lands bordered by Tremaine Road to the west, Britannia Road to the north and Lower Base Line to the south. It's designed to transfer containers be- tween trucks and railcars and would operate around the clock, with an estimat- ed 1,600 daily truck trips and four intermodal trains. "The central question to be addressed by the panel is whether, taking mitiga- tion and cumulative effects into account, the proposed CN Milton logistics hub is likely to cause significant adverse environmental ef- fects," explained Halton's commissioner of legisla- tive and planning services Art Zuidema in a report to regional council during its June 12 session. The report details the extensive work done by municipal staff and ex- perts to examine the poten- tial environmental impacts of the intermodal facility. In a brief submitted to the panel, which sought the municipalities' technical input, the team concludes that the project is likely to cause "significant adverse environmental effects" on everything from habitat for species at risk to surface water bodies and ambient air quality. The brief also assesses impacts on road safety and road usage using the re- gion's haul route analysis and traffic modelling. "Based on this model- ling, project-related trucks are not likely to cause a sig- nificant adverse environ- mental effect on road safe- ty, but are likely to cause increased traffic conges- tion, amounting to a signif- icant adverse environmen- tal effect," notes Zuidema. "Further, if project con- tainer throughout increas- es, roadway safety will also likely become a significant adverse environmental ef- fect." Following a lengthy in camera session to discuss the matter, regional coun- cil unanimously endorsed the submissions of the Hal- ton municipalities to the panel. Staff's detailed work in preparing the documenta- tion was lauded by those around the table, with council members also speaking in favour of the panel review process. "I think this is a momen- tous opportunity for this council and our communi- ty," said Burlington Coun. Paul Sharman. Oakville Mayor Rob Burton shared similar sen- timents, extending his thanks to the federal gov- ernment for the chance to share local concerns with the intermodal plans. "This is an issue that af- fects every single munici- pality and will have im- pacts well beyond the im- mediate boundaries," add- ed Burlington Mayor Marianne Meed Ward. "That's why all four munic- ipalities and the region are united in our response on this." Milton Mayor Gord Krantz - who has been deal- ing with variations of CN intermodal plans since they first came forward in 2001 - said while there's still a lot of work to be done, he predicted the matter will come to a head within two to three years. "That's moving ahead with municipal, regional, provincial and federal blinding speed when it comes to this," he said. The public hearing will commence June 19 starting at 9 a.m. at the Holiday Inn Express in Milton and run until July 17. Further details can be found at https://ceaa- acee.gc.ca. NEWS HALTON TAKES CONCERNS ON CN INTERMODAL TO FEDERAL PANEL MELANIE HENNESSEY mhennessey@ metroland.com PUBLIC HEARING GETTING UNDERWAY JUNE 19 THE ISSUE: CN'S PROPOSED INTERMODAL HUB IN SOUTH MILTON LOCAL IMPACT: MUNICIPAL STAFF AND EXPERTS CONCLUDE THE FACILITY WOULD HAVE A VARIETY OF ADVERSE EFFECTS ON THE LOCAL ENVIRONMENT STORY BEHIND THE STORY Our newsroom has covered the controversial intermodal plans since they first came forward in 2001 and continues to follow how it will impact local residents. CN's proposed intermodal hub in Milton would operate around the clock with an estimated 1,600 daily truck trips and four intermodal trains. Torstar file photo