Stop the Oak Park Road Extension

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Stop the Oak Park Road Extension

Stop the Oak Park Road ExtensionStop the Oak Park Road ExtensionStop the Oak Park Road Extension
  • Home
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  • Letter Archive
  • History
  • Media
  • Contact Us
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Timeline of the Oak Park Road Extension Project

1958 to 1972 - BSAR begins

  • Brantford South Access Road (BSAR) begins planning and construction. "While the first stage progressed uninterrupted, the passage of a bylaw providing for the second stage...elicited immediate and sustained opposition."  Muir, Gary, (2001). Brantford: A City's Century 1895 - 2000, Vol Two Quest for Identity 1945-2000. Tupuna Press.
  • Oak Park Extension started out as northern extension of the BSAR.

1980 to 1986 - Beginnings

  • After years of negotiation, the city and county (then township) agree to annexation of lands  in the Northwest and Southwest with the intention of building a road connection. This would be considered the Northwest Extension of the BSAR.
  • Homeowners in the area contacted in 1980 for input and in 1983 the area is recommended to be "protected" for future building.
  • Opposition began almost immediately.

1990 to 1992 - Sewer debate starts, cemetery dedicated

  • 1990 homeowners once again contacted about "West BSAR Extension" project and public information sessions held.
  • 1992 the Oakhill Cemetery is dedicated and the original designs do show the road going through it.
  • City decides to proceed with sewer trunk on route of future roadway to kickstart development in the Northwest.

1994 - occupation by Six Nations

  • In January Six Nations people and local activists occupy the island in the middle of the Grand at the crossing point.
  • Gypsum deposits are identified in the area.

1997 to 1998 - Sewer project moves forward then hits a snag

  • After negotiations between then Mayor Friel and the Six Nations Elected Council in the fall of 1997, the sewer project begins to move forward again with an initial plan to put the sewer connection under the river.
  • Traditional Chiefs of the Six Nations still have objections.
  • Within a few months of declaring the project "on track" it goes majorly off track when directional drilling fails because of unexpectedly hard rock and gypsum contaminated silt enters the Grand River.

1998 to 1999 - Current Pedestrian Bridge Built

  • In April of 1998 it is clear that the previous plan to run the sewer under the river would not work and a proposal for a pedestrian bridge was approved in June of that year.
  • By 1999 the trail bridge was under construction.

2009 - Oak Park Road Extension killed?

  • In May of 2009 the city's General Manager of Engineering, Sandra Lawson, recommended to council that an environmental assessment of the OPRE should be completed because "the project is forecast to be required between 2017 and 2021".
  • In November of 2009, council moved to scrap plans for the Oak Park Extension. Councilor Dan McCreary (still serving) commented "I don't know why we would want to do this. I really don't. I think we've had enough of Toronto Consultants and far too little of people who live in our neighbourhoods."

2014 to now - Not dead yet

  • 2014 Transportation Master Plan lists OPRE as a "medium term" project.
  • August 2019, Brantford Council approves motion to go ahead with Feasibility Study of the OPRE.
  • In 2019, Parsons (an American firm described as being specialists in "Defense, Intelligence and Critical Infrastructure" are given the contract for a Feasibility Study and a Municipal Level Environmental Assessment.
  • In June 2021, Council voted to defer the Oak Park Extension final decision until Q4 2023 pending further traffic studies and agreement with Brant County on a joint transportation plan.
  • June 2024, Mayor Kevin Davis declares a "traffic emergency" on Brant Avenue and resurrects the OPRE plan in a series of public statements.

Source Documents - 1980 to 1994

Five Possible Routes Identified - Brantford Expositor, October 17, 1980 (pdf)Download
Notification from City of Brantford to homeowners, October 30, 1980 (pdf)Download
All proposals for highway link called unacceptable, Brantford Expositor, 1980 (pdf)Download
Report by City Roads and Traffic Engineer re. BSAR Northwest Extension, April 11, 1983 (pdf)Download
Gretzinger to Ministry of Transport, City of Brantford, October 3, 1986 (pdf)Download
Public Information Centre notification re BSAR extension, CIty of Brantford, April 25, 1990 (pdf)Download
Peace Park dedicated in city cemetery, Brantford Expositor, October 1992 (pdf)Download
Resident opposes city's trunk sewer, Brantford Expositor, October 2, 1992 (pdf)Download
Protesters stop Construction, Brantford Expositor, January 7, 1994 (pdf)Download
Natives say island protest may escalate, Brantford Expositor, January 14, 1994 (pdf)Download
City should defer development of northwest industrial park, Dan McCreary, Brantford Expositor, Feb 2 (pdf)Download
Blame poor planning, Brantford Expositor, March 21, 1994 (pdf)Download
Natives occupy sewer trunk construction site, Brantford Expositor, January 6, 1994 (pdf)Download
It's time to call in a specialist, Brantford Expositor, February 5, 1994 (pdf)Download

Source documents - 1995 to present

Environmental 'observation post' erected on Grand River island, Brantford Expositor, December 9, 199 (pdf)Download
Activists threaten protests - heated exchange in council, Brantford Expositor, 6 August 1997 (pdf)Download
River crossing hotly debated before approval, Brantford Expositor, February 25, 1997 (pdf)Download
City satisfies some pipeline worries, Brantford Expositor, October 4, 1997 (pdf)Download
Sewer project on track: mayor, Brantford Expositor, November 13, 1997 (pdf)Download
'Major glitch' hits sewer project, Brantford Expositor, February 17, 1998 (pdf)Download
Back to the drawing board for sewer line, Brantford Expositor, April 7, 1998 (pdf)Download
$3.5 million span could lure tourists, Brantford Expositor, June 23, 1998 (pdf)Download
Bridge under construction, Brantford Expositor, August 12, 1999 (pdf)Download
Report from General Manager of Engineering and Operations, City of Brantford, May 19, 2009 (pdf)Download
No money, support for doomed extension, Brantford Expositor, November 17, 2009 (pdf)Download
Tufa Mounds Witness Expert Statement Daryll Cowel 2012 (pdf)Download
Brant Tufa ES Detail (pdf)Download

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