Riverside Road/Canal Bank Road Perth

July15th

The road isn't repaired yet.

They are working on the bridge, nearby.

May 12th

The flooding is still an issue in the region. The Ottawa River, and the RVCA watershed are starting to go down, but the water is flowing to other communities.

The gym and physio place is closed for the week. The road washed out, again. There is a wetland/flood plain in the forest, which used to drain into the Tay River. This road is a terrible road. It always floods, there are potholes and washouts all the time. You can imagine it during the freeze and thaws of our winters. First, Canal Bank Rd.

This is Brock St. N.

Wetland that runs beside Riverside Dr.

There have been disagreements about what to do. You can read my previous post for more of the back story: Riverside Dr. and Canal Bank Rd., Perth, ON. It appears that they have decided to build a road to connect Canal Bank Rd. and Evans Road. The problem was that Evans Road is in Drummond/North Elmsley, and Riverside Dr. is in the town of Perth. I think they finally came to a resolution. Connect the roads on the right-of-way.
There are about 4 houses on Evans Rd., there are three on the end of Canal Bank Rd.


This is what they are doing, May 10th. I hope they are making a road to allow the three people on Canal Bank Rd. to get out, as well as the gym and physiotherapy patrons to get in!


This road is ridiculous. Riverside runs through the middle of a wetland, a flood plain, that drains into the Tay River. This is what has happened twice in the past number of weeks.

Flooding in Perth, Ontario

It's a mess in town. The water is slowly receding, but it built back up after the flooding during the spring melt and heavy rains. We've had massive amounts of water. This is from May 9th. 

It's still not back to normal on Riverside Rd.

This is the Tay River. Behind the Crystal Palace it is very wet. The water was creeping up onto the road.

Then, there is the Dry Stone Heritage Bridge. 

Riverside Dr., along to Canal Road was swamped with water.  The problem with our region is that the land is filled with swamps and wetlands. The wetlands are on flood plains. 

Experts have been saying that we must get better at determining where we allow people to build. These 100-year floods will continue. It makes no sense to rebuild homes in these areas. Taxpayers foot the bill in federal disaster assistance. A billion dollars on an annual basis across Canada, 3/4 of this is caused by flooding. 

Flood planning: Why we get it wrong time after time

What do we do wrong about floods? A professor at Western University who specializes in natural disasters was at a loss where to start.

• outdated flood plain maps
• too slow a response
• poor decisions for rebuilds
• lack of preventative measures, e.g., berms, as they did in Calgary.

Calgary discouraged redevelopment in risky areas after the have tried after the 2013 floods, to reduce the risks. Other things they can do is redo the flood maps, as flooding patterns have changed. 

This is Last Duel Park.

May 16 2017

Christie Lake sees flooding beyond living memory

Perth Courier  0 Comments by Desmond Devoy

Riverside Dr. and Canal Bank Rd., Perth, ON

Riverside Drive study will consider paving, walking paths

Discussions between Perth, DNE touch on ‘economic union’ or merger

This is an interesting dilemma. Engineers have been hired! The road is full of pot holes year-round, especially after a rain.

Riverside Dr. is in the town of Perth, Canal Bank is in D/NE Township. Canal bank ends and doesn't go out to highway #43. Coming in from #43 is Evans Rd., which does not connect to Canal Rd! Residents, of course, want to keep their properties private and are against a new road.

The red pin indicates Riverside Dr.,

which ends at the corner.

The right angle turn begins Canal Bank Rd.

Here is the physio therapy building, at the end of the road.

Fields around the facility are quite watery!
This 'pond' hd a heron.

The spa/gym/physiotherapy spot, at the end of the road, is on what was a horse farm. It's a wonderful facility. Lots of people use the gym, including Perth's mayor, Mr. Fenik. Sadly, the road is a disaster.

The pot holes are amazing. It's like driving on fudge! People tend to drive too quickly. For the most part.

They have options:
1) connect the road off #43 for an alternate route,
2) Adopt this part of land from D/NE,
3) Fix the road up along the canal,
4) Make Riverside a recreational route
5) Connect Canal Rd and Evans Rd, for easier access from the highway.

Sadly, if they pave it, the winter salt required will enter the waterway.

We were there, for my physio, at the tail end of a rain storm. This, following after spring thaw, meant that the forest on the north east was trying to drain into the river, on the south west. This woman did not go above 3 km/hour!


Canal Rd. from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Forest on the NE, river on the SW!

Someone decided to try driving on the grass. They got stuck and had to be towed.
As you come around the corner, the town put up a road closure sign. You cannot see it from the right turn. Then, as you try to get back onto the highway, you cannot see oncoming traffic as you pull out onto highway #43.

Leaving is a dilemma

You can't see oncoming traffic west or from the left, at Craig & Highway #43. Especially, if you meet the grader!

Canal Rd., Perth, ONT from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Here is was in the height of the storm. We had 72 mm of rain (~3") over three days.


Sadly, a young lady went over the side into the river, at one point.  Riverside Dr., near Perth, the site of a terrible incident. The gym is frequented by our local firefighters and paramedics, to keep in shape. They rescued her. The spa's owner, a physician, attended to her. It was a horrible incident. Since then, they put up the metal barriers.

These are the before photos, before the guard rails were installed. It was quite a terrifying drive!


The road was graded the morning I visited. You couldn't really tell. In winter it is icy and slippy.

 Tay River rails - speaking of winter driving

Tay River rails - speaking of winter driving

Riverside Dr., Perth
follows the Tay River

Update on the Tay River... If you recall, we had a teenaged young lady go into the river one day last year. She was in the river, under water, went to hospital, having been freed by off-duty EMS dudes. Bless their hearts. We've been told that she is recuperating at home after a lengthy hospital stay.

After much agonising, research and debate, since it is on our Lanark County land, but in close proximity to Perth, the Perth mayor and council decided to put up a rail, since rerouting the road was very expensive. Since having heard of this incident, I've been pretty careful along this road. It's like driving on fudge some days. It can be glare ice, on sandy soil. The land drains across the road, into the river.
The peculiar thing is, on January 7th there was another incident.  Apparently, Lanark OPP report, a Dodge Caravan was negotiating the road early this month, hit the guard rails, but didn't go in. Thankfully. It was near the location of the previous incident. I'm happy the powers-that-be did something. People drive far too quickly everywhere, especially along this slippery road, on their way to the gym/spa/physiotherapy facility. You know, for relaxation!
The road takes a sudden turn at the end, don't know if people speed and don't think about the turn. I took a drive just at sunset. It's a lovely spot, where people camp on the other side in summer.
They look like robust rails, following the entire length of the river.

A 2013 spring photo 

Riverside Dr., near Perth, the site of a terrible incident

Riverside Dr., Perth

It is tragic. This road is a terrible one. Hubby travelled it many times, as have I, to go to physiotherapy, or to walk around the track at the gym. It is an awful road, with many spots quite near the Tay River separated only by a few bushes.

At the end, It stops suddenly, and you must take an extreme left turn to follow the road.

In winter it can be slick. The gravel and sand get awash in precipitation and spring melt. Some days it is like driving through fudge. With recent rains, 72 mm over two days last week, it's a horrible road.

You really have to take it slowly, although many do not. Lots of cars and trucks travel this road, many going to the popular gym and spa at a good clip. I always like to test a road like this, tapping the break to determine road conditions. The older I get, the more fearful!

May 2012 road over looks the Tay River

They have not released the name of the young lady who was found in the car, she was found with vital signs absent. Church groups and prayer circles have been circulating messages and the folks at the spa are in shock. Facebook messages of hope have been sprinkled with shock, best wishes, and a call for barriers.

Concerns have been raised at Perth's Town Council, barriers, or perhaps closing the road, rerouting it.

Either way, something needs to be done.

Teen driver pulled from submerged vehicle in Tay Canal

WWW.INSIDEOTTAWAVALLEY.COM

News – Emergency workers have rescued a female teenage driver who was trapped in her car, which was completely submerged in the Tay Canal.

Thank goodness for some heroes who managed to get her out of the car. She's been transported to Kingston. She wasn't breathing when she was taken out of the vehicle by an off-duty paramedic and firefighter. She was submerged for some time, they said.
She was airlifted to Kingston, after being taken to the Perth ER.
Hold your children close.

Teenager rescued from Tay River in Perth after crash

1. They said a Drummond/North Elmsley Tay Valley firefighter, an off-duty paramedic from Renfrew and two bystanders helped get her out of the submerged vehicle. That off-duty paramedic, Robert Dodge, told CBC News that he was in Perth picking up some radio equipment when he came across the crash. Aug. 15 cbc.ca

Tay River from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.
The Tay River is a lovely spot, with a campground, and Riverside Dr. running along side. A terrible road, with a slippery surface, drivers have to be careful. The young lady who ended up in the river in her car is still in hospital.