Neil Jones is tired of driving to Stroud to pick up his mail.
The Big Bay Point resident lives on the 30th Sideroad, north of Big Bay Point Road.
Roadside delivery ended early last week. A local representative of Canada Post told Jones last week his road is too bumpy for the route driver to use safely.
He doesn’t dispute this, but is angry he or his wife must now make a 24-km round trip to retrieve their mail.
The 500-metre stretch of the 30th Sideroad may well be the bumpiest patch of road in Innisfil. So much so, the Town has been examining how to best deal with the issue through an Environmental Assessment process.
Jones’ next-door neighbour is blunt with his assessment of the rutted road outside the spacious retirement house he built in 1996.
“The road’s a disgrace and has been a disgrace for 10 years,” Ed Mills says. “I was talking to the Mayor (Brian Jackson) yesterday. We had a few words about it. I told him there was no mail delivery on the street. I was in construction for 50 years. The mayor said maybe the Town could put some gravel on it. I said, ‘That’s not enough.’ There are no ditches to take the water runoff.”
The Jones have lived in their house for 14 years.
“I’ve been trying to get the road improved since 1999,” he says. “Each year, it’s graded but now, it’s impassable. Over the last two years, my efforts resulted in a Town study concluding something needed to be done. About $35,000 was spent on an engineering study. The recommendations were ‘Do nothing’ or pave it with a ditch on one side, or pave it with ditches on both sides.”
Tom Dalby, a spokesperson with Canada Post, said the rural route driver who serves the area reported the poor condition of the road to a supervisor.
It was agreed the driver shouldn’t have to put themselves, or their vehicle, at risk.
“Our carriers provide their own vehicle to deliver the mail,” Dalby says. “They shouldn’t have to pay repair bills because of bad roads.”
Residents who have called the Stroud post office regarding the non-delivery “have been quite understanding,” Dalby added. “Another issue is people must clear snow from around their mailboxes. For safety reasons, carriers are not allowed to leave their vehicle.”
A possible solution may be the installation of a community mailbox, although Dalby concedes that wouldn’t satisfy everyone.
“For the time being, they must go to the post office in Stroud for their mail.”
Jones says in order to do any major reconstruction of the road, the Town would have to reclaim a portion of the properties on the east side of the 30th, a possibility that doesn’t sit well with homeowners who would lose a significant portion of their front lawns. To do the job right would cost between $350,000 and $400,000.
“Drainage is an issue, too,” Jones says. “The ditches are filled with leaves or dirt. We get bad flooding halfway down the road. Council’s decision to do nothing is costing us money in car repairs and is a nuisance factor. We enjoy living here but if nothing happens, we’ll move to Barrie.”
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