Hawkesbury council is not ready to decide if all-terrain vehicles (ATV) should be allowed on the southern part of McGill Street.
On Monday, May 13, Dan Lalande of the All-Terrain Vehicle Club of Eastern Ontario (ATVCEO) appeared before town council and explained the club would like the town to allow ATV’s to use the southern part of McGill Street so riders can access the Tim Hortons and MacEwen gas station. The ATVCEO is trying to expand its trail network and would like to have a continuous loop for users to follow between Alfred and Rigaud.
“We want to be able to access the MacEwen station and the Tim Hortons,” Lalande said.
The access would follow Highway 34 from Sandy Hill Road to the town limits near the railroad crossing where McGill Street begins and is under Town of Hawkesbury jurisdiction. South of the railroad crossing, the road is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario (MTO).
Councillor Jeanne Charlebois expressed concerns over traffic in the area.
“The Tim Hortons parking lot is not large,” she said.
Charlebois is concerned about multiple ATV’s arriving at once and needing parking.
Lalande said the majority of ATV users travel in smaller groups of four or five and having access to the two businesses would enable users to access fuel and refreshment more easily.
Charlebois said it would be less dangerous to allow ATV’s to travel parallel to Highway 17 where there are already two gas stations at the southeast corner of Hawkesbury.
“We are not proposing to go parallel to 17,” Lalande said.
He explained the club did an evaluation and a lot of work would be required to make that route a safe option for ATV users. The proposed route will follow Sandy Hill and Greenlane roads.
Approval is also necessary from the MTO and Champlain Township.
Mayor Robert Lefebvre said the bylaw currently prohibits ATV’s on town streets and it would have to be changed to allow them on McGill as far as Tim Hortons and MacEwen.
Director of Public Works and Engineering Jonathan Wilson said a fall 2023 traffic study revealed more than 13,000 vehicles pass along the street each day.
Charlebois remarked there are no sidewalks along that part of McGill Street and she wants to protect pedestrian safety.
Chief Administrative Officer Samuel Cardarelli said it is premature to take a position on if ATV’s should be permitted on the southern part of McGill Street. He recommended waiting and seeing what the United Counties of Prescott and Russell (UCPR) proposes for ATV traffic on its roads.
Lefebvre said any decision in Hawkesbury will be a decision based on discussions with the UCPR Director of Public Works.
