A new wayfinding sign planned for Maxville is moving closer to installation, but not before the Township of North Glengarry approved an additional $6,207.68 toward the project. On Thursday, August 20, Council approved the extra funding, with Councillor Brian Caddell opposed.
Director of Community Services Stephanie MacRae recommended approving the final design concept for the sign and using surplus funds from the Maxville Sports Complex operating budget to cover the project’s remaining shortfall. The selected vendor’s updated quote is $83,959, including HST. After the Township’s eligible HST rebate, the net project cost is estimated at $75,607.68.
The proposed sign will replace the existing wayfinding sign at the corner of Fair Street and Main Street. The Township has been working for several years with local organizations, including the Kenyon Agricultural Society, Maxville & District Lions Club, Glengarry Sports Hall of Fame, and Maxville Firefighters’ Association, on the project.
The partner organizations have committed a combined $54,400, while the Township had previously approved a $15,000 contribution. That brought total committed funding to $69,400, leaving a remaining shortfall of approximately $6,207.68.
MacRae recommended covering the shortfall through the Maxville Sports Complex operating budget. According to her report, sufficient funds are currently available under the arena’s operating budget to cover the shortfall without affecting current operations.
Councillor Caddell opposed the recommendation, questioning the decision to take money from the operating budget of a facility that already operates with a significant deficit.
“I just have trouble with the logic of taking money out of the operating budget for the arena that annually loses hundreds of thousands of dollars, and we’re going to put it on their budget to take money away from that even. I don’t understand the logic of that,” Caddell said.
In response, Chief Administrative Officer Michael Fawthrop explained that the money identified by MacRae represents a surplus within the operating budget. The funds would otherwise return to the Township’s bottom line, and staff proposed the reallocation as one way of addressing the funding variance associated with the sign project.
With the additional contribution, the Township’s total contribution to the project would rise to $21,207.68.
The project was also the subject of an application earlier this year to the Rural Ontario Development Fund. The Township was recently advised that it was not selected to receive funding through the program.
The sign is expected to be installed in late fall 2026, following the completion of procurement and installation arrangements.
