NORTH DUNDAS – While some members of township council are calling out the provincial government for not funding critical water source improvements for Winchester and Chesterville, there appears to be plenty of blame to go around.
At the October 22 North Dundas council meeting, Mayor Tony Fraser and Deputy Mayor Theresa Bergeron hit out at the province for not funding improvements to the drinking water supply – specifically a pipeline from the St. Lawrence River through the Municipality of South Dundas, to replace a series of seven, soon-to-be-eight wells that currently supply the two villages.
Fraser said that North Dundas’ issues have “fallen on deaf ears at the provincial level.” Not so say provincial officials.
Stormont-Dundas-South Glengarry MPP and Minister of Colleges and Universities Nolan Quinn declined an interview about North Dundas’ water issues with The Leader, however in a statement he said that he has been working on the issue.
“Homes and businesses in Stormont-Dundas-South Glengarry need a reliable water supply they can count on. I have been in frequent contact with my colleagues across government to identify potential solutions to this issue, including possible funding avenues,” Quinn said. “Our government will continue to work together with the township to ensure both Lactalis and communities in North Dundas have a sufficient, reliable water system.”
One of Fraser’s complaints about his township’s treatment was that the St. Lawrence Parks Commission received an $82 million dollar boost, part of which will pay for tying its campgrounds and facilities to the water and wastewater systems in South Dundas and South Stormont. However, that project began with discussions by the three parties in early 2019 and included design, engineering, and auditing of existing plants and facilities to see if the two municipalities could support the new connections.
A review of North Dundas’s public council agendas from the past two years by The Leader found only a bylaw from May 2025 to enter into an agreement with South Dundas to explore a potential joint water servicing project, and a request for a business case study in February 2025 for a new non-well supply system.
Fraser confirmed at council that North Dundas has had delegations to the ROMA and AMO conferences to lobby for support. However, no applications have been made to the province.
Ash Milton, press secretary for the Ministry of Infrastructure blamed the previous Liberal administration for municipalities being shortchanged on municipal infrastructure. She said that the Ford Government’s Municipal Housing Infrastructure Program is helping with that. But, she also said North Dundas has received some infrastructure money to help.
“Since 2022, North Dundas has received nearly $2.5 million in infrastructure supports through the government’s Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund, which supports small, rural and Northern communities,” she explained adding that municipalities can accumulate year-to-year OCIF funding for larger projects. OCIF can be banked for up to five years.
“This is in addition to the funding they have received through MHIP for road works on Wincrest Avenue.”
The MHIP program which municipalities must apply to, once they have the groundwork done for a project. To date, no application has been made by North Dundas for funding under MHIP.
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