RV season is right around the corner, and much to the chagrin of RV owner Adrien Foisy, the city of North Bay is still without a recreational dumping station.
Foisy has made presentations to both the former and current city council on numerous occasions, asking the city to replace the site that was closed at what was once the North Bay and District Chamber of Commerce property at Seymour Street and the by-pass.
See: Rv owners seeking a local dumping site
The city resident says he often hears from RV owners asking if the city has found an alternate location.
“I tell them, no, and then they want to know where they’re supposed to go. For tourism, it is awful for a city this size. We have nothing compared to the little communities around here. Right now, people have to go to Sturgeon Falls, to pump out,” he explained in frustration.
“We shouldn’t have to fight this much to get what we need. There’s a lot of dealers here that sell a lot of trailers. There’s probably over a thousand people in North Bay with trailers, probably a lot more. And the tourists that come here with trailers where are they going to dump?”
Last June city staff was asked to prepare a report looking into a number of issues relevant to developing a new site, including estimated usage, estimated operational costs, user pay option and potential locations.
See: City Staff studying new RV septic dump site, but cost may be high
“There was a request for a report to council that was passed last June, but because of the election and because of the January, February period where local engineering staff are focused on preparing existing capital projects that have already been approved, they’re just getting to preparing that report to council now,” explained engineering and works chair Chris Mayne.
“The recommendation of a location and some cost options should be finished by the end of April and should then be before council by the end of May. At that point hopefully, council will be in a position to decide where to locate an RV pump-out station.”
The cost will play a big factor in council deciding how best to move forward.
“Very general numbers that have been presented so far have ranged anywhere from $5,000 to $250,000. The real goal of this report to council is to nail down what those costs are, and where an appropriate location would be,” said Mayne.
Foisy has suggested modifications be made to the existing commercial pump-out on Patton Street.
He maintains the cost will be marginal.
“They make it sound like a big expense, and it is not. If they go where I’m telling them to go, it is not a big expense,” said Foisy.
“If we were to go to the pump-out they have for all the big trucks near the Ontario Northland bus depot, all they would need would be five or six loads of gravel. A transport comes in one way, they back up to it, and all we would have to do is have the trailers go on the right. All we need is a plastic pipe going down there to empty and rinse and go. It is a 10-minute thing.”
Mayne says at the end of the day it will be a decision of council based on the findings in the report.
“Here’s the recommended location, here’s the recommended cost, and do we feel it is an appropriate expenditure of funds. At that point, there is a vote by council.”
Foisy has pledged to be in attendance when the report is brought forward.