At its Feb. 24 meeting, Huntsville Council approved the 2020 Ironman 70.3 Muskoka triathlon run route which will mean the closure of Brunel Road from Park Drive to North Mary Lake Road for several hours on Sunday, July 12.
Town manager of sales and customer service, Greg Pilling, was before council with Nick Stoehr, owner of TriSport and the producer of Ironman in Muskoka.
Pilling told council the municipality has two more years left in its contract with TriSport (2020, 2021), at which point it will have an option to renew its contract for three additional years.
Pilling spoke to council about the benefits of hosting the event in the form of charitable donations to community groups, funds spent in the community to organize the event, as well as the economic spinoff of triathletes, and their supporters, coming to the municipality. “It stimulates the local economy… and advertises Huntsville to the world and attracts growth and business and residents,” he said.
This synopsis of the athletes that participate in triathlons was presented to council.
He told council that as a result of a public meeting held on February 20 to gather input on the proposed routes, staff and organizers have come up with ways to try and mitigate the discontent among residents affected by the proposed route.
He said the closure of Brunel has been reduced from about six hours to three hours and 45 minutes. He also said a minor adjustment in the race route means North Mary Lake Road will remain open with residents being rerouted through Lockview Road to Brunel and then south during the closure times.
“This does reduce the impact on the affected residents that were landlocked. Originally it was 491 [residences], it’s now 260,” he told council.
He also said TriSport will be organizing a location for residents impacted along Brunel Road to go to. “Coffee, tea, and snacks will be available to accommodate those that need to go to town earlier, for those who cannot get home until after the road is closed,” he said, adding that WiFi will also be available. “And we provide free overnight parking in a municipal lot for those who need to park their car the night before the race if that’s going to affect their commute to work on Sunday.”
Pilling said road closures and a welcoming centre for those impacted would be communicated further. He said information would also be shared with race organizers about the municipality’s noise bylaw and a parking plan will be put in place for triathlon participants and their families to avoid parking on residential side streets. Pilling also noted that emergency response vehicles would have access to the area at all times.
Brunel Councillor Dan Armour questioned whether residents impacted along Brunel Road could leave if they had an emergency and needed to go to the hospital, for example. Pilling said there would be an OPP officer at each intersection. “I’ve already been working with the OPP on suggested and proposed locations for them… they’ll be at those intersections so if somebody needs some sort of service, then OPP can help them get to where they need to be or figure out a plan as it kind of arises,” he explained.
Councillor Jonathan Wiebe wanted to know what measures could be put in place for those who have to go to work on the day of the race and are financially impacted by the event. “So we talk about how great this is for the community and it’s a boon, et cetera, but there may actually be people who are directly affected in a really negative way,” he said.
Stoehr said that had been discussed which is why a location is being offered for those who need to leave earlier in order to get to work. He said notice would go out to residents weeks before the event, which will be thoroughly advertised. “And if there is a direct concern they can certainly call us and we can work with them and maybe make some sort of arrangement on a case-by-case basis if that is a problem… We definitely don’t want to put anybody out of work.”
Armour said the constituents he’d heard from were not necessarily against the event but simply the route, particularly because that area sees multiple events and the triathlon is scheduled for the height of summer when there are more people in the area.
Councillor Tim Withey said he’d like to see planning and consultation take place earlier on “so we don’t get these situations where we’re feeling like we gotta do something and we gotta do it now,” he said, also noting that he’s not against the triathlon.
Downtown businesses along Huntsville’s Main Street have expressed opposition to having events like the triathlon in Huntsville’s downtown during their busiest time of the season. Pilling said various other routes were examined by a group that also comprised emergency response teams and said the Brunel route seemed like the best option. “This seemed to be the least impactful on the downtown core to try and free up the movement of traffic downtown.” He also noted that the route had to work for the athletes as well, in terms of terrain and safety.
In the end, council voted in favour of the Brunel route with councillors Armour and Withey voting against it.
Correction: Although it was not a recorded vote, Councillor Tim Withey contacted Doppler after this story was published to say that he too had voted against the route. The story has been changed to reflect that. We apologize for the omission.
Don’t miss out on Doppler!
Sign up here to receive our email digest with links to our most recent stories.
Local news in your inbox three times per week!
For your information it is totally legal to ride (bikes) two abreast on the road. I am a bike rider and prefer to stay on the side of the road. Most vehicles are very cautious but I’ve come across some that look like they are aiming for you.
I wish the Town would put in full bike lanes. Ottawa does a great job of this in their city.
The report said that you will receive medical / fire emergency services. What route would you suggest then as there are a lot of people that do appreciated this event and enjoy the revenue that this event generates. Any suggestions as to a route that could accommodate everyone would be very much appreciated.
Yup all you complain but would you like to see maybe Bracebridge reap the rewards of holding all future events. Maybe that would be one more reason they need a new hospital and not Huntsville.
I find it hard to believe that completely closing off Brunel Rd. for hours (other than an emergency) is legal!! Seems to me that the people who live on this road have already had more than their fare share of this!!
This is a joke. Good for councilors Armour and Whithey who voted against. I am an affected resident and don’t believe I, or any of my neighbors, were included in the count of residents who would be impacted as we live in a subdivision off Brunel. The road however is our only lifeline to the town.
So now, in order to accomplish my regular tasks and activities in Bracebridge , I must go south down through Port Sydney and cross over the death trap that is the Hwy 11 level crossing to get to the south bound lanes. Of course the safe route is up through town to the overpass.
Any accidents or god forbid, worse, is on this council.
Ontario highway traffic laws state that a bicycle is a transportation vehicle and cyclists have the same right to be on the road as a car, with 400 series highways being the exception. Absolutely agree that Cyclists should be more polite but can utilize the whole lane if they opt to do so: http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/safety/bicycle-safety.shtml
Ryan there is a 2 foot wide paved shoulder for bike riders to ride on but half the time they are in the traveled portion of the road and if you coming up behind them a honk they give you the finger and don’t move over it’s only a matter of time until someone gets hurt.
Notice that our very own ward councillor voted against this road closure.
I still don’t understand why the road needs a full closure, why can’t we close one lane and use police or construction flag persons to alternate direction of allowed traffic.
I don’t agree or disagree fully on your response, as I live out Brunel myself and deal with all sorts of road users including cyclists.
My point is just to clarify, those road bikes are NOT ABLE to ride on the shoulder, the wheels need the hard road surface. I ride my mountain bike into town using Brunel, and I can certainly use the shoulder myself, but I have different tires.
It was innappropriate action of Huntsville Council to approve complete closure of a road that impacts a considerable number of residents. The meetings to gain public opinion is an insult to one’s intelligence. Obvious that was a done deal. The question arises whether it is legal to fully close a main artery, for several hours, of a municipality for recreational purpose. Also, there should be full disclosure of liability insurance coverage. Does the town pay additional premium to cover this event? How much premium and how much coverage? Is this extra coverage included in the $50,000 that the town spends for this event? Do the members of council recognize that they are morally and legally responsible for cutting off ambulance, fire service, other emergency service to constituents? I cannot help but wonder which members of this council were part of the initial contract for this event? This was not a wise business decision at that time. Why was such a deal struck? Is there more there than meets the eye, because it doesn’t make sense at all? Over and over we hear that tourists and locals shop in other towns to get away from our ridiculous clogged roadways, particularly Brunel Road, with bicycles and whatever activity, almost every weekend all summer long. Too many times we are inundated with the “hide behind” comment that it boosts the economy. That doesn’t cut it anymore!
I didn’t go to the meeting either just because the whole thing was approved before they had a meeting . As far as this council is concerned I for one will remember next election just how much they pay attention to the people out Brunel rd and vote accordingly. They will keep the bike riders on Brunel until a couple get killed because they wont stay on the shoulder ride two abreast and woggle back and forth so you don’t have any idea where they are going if they are going uphill. I thought there was a bike path out 60 Hwy for bickers to ride to deerhurst what happened to that
The OPP should spend a bit more time out Brunel in summer and see just what some of these bickers do and charge a few of them..
Yes we recieved a flyer days before the meeting, as a resident on Britannia for 20 years we have been complaining of all the sporting events Huntsville offers all summer long, not just Ironman and the triathlon there’s races and qualifying races the locals aren’t even aware of that happen almost every weekend in the summerwe have asked for route changes, the athletes be more respectful of residents and their property, but we get the speil how this is good for the town (I disagree we have lots of tourism without this) I even asked why can’t we spread it over Muskoka? Maybe bracebridge and Gravenhurst could take a turn… anyways it falls on deaf ears, I didn’t go to the meeting because even though I’ve voiced concerns and complaints it is always ignored
The Town continues to downplay the negative aspects of the Brunel Road closure. For example, at council they spoke of the number of “properties” affected, as opposed to the number of “people”, leaving the impression that this is only going to affect 260 people. One of the properties that will be locked in is a 40-unit apartment building. Most of those properties are homes with two or more residents. It’s probably more than 600 people who are going to be unable to leave their homes.
I also noticed downplaying when the feedback from the public meetings was presented at council. All of the positive comments were read verbatim, each and every one, whereas the negative responses were lumped together as “concerns about emergency vehicles”, “concerns about number of people affected”, etc. I noticed this in particular because I had attended the public meeting and had given detailed feedback to a town staff member who had written it all down, but none of my comments were read.
I understand that the Town’s hands are tied in this situation. They’ve signed a multi-year contract, so the race has to go on. They’ve got construction planned on Main Street, so route options are limited. But these factors don’t excuse the fact that the Town pushed this through without adequately informing and consulting taxpayers, particularly those who will be locked onto their properties for a portion of the race.
This route was discussed, voted on and approved at three different levels (Huntsville’s Special Event Advisory Team, the District of Muskoka and the Community Services Committee) before the public was informed that closing Brunel Road completely was a possibility. It wasn’t until days before the final vote at Council that affected residents received a flyer in the mail inviting us to the public meeting to get information and provide feedback. And when I asked at the public meeting whether there was still a chance that this route might be changed, the answer I received from several town staff was, in effect, “Do you have a better idea?” This was a done deal.
Another thing that was downplayed is the fact that this route, including the road closure, is also planned for 2021 and 2022. It’s not just this summer.
What’s done is done. Those of us in the affected area will have to plan ahead and just hope that no one needs an ambulance or firefighters during the time that we’re locked in. We’d be more accepting about it if the closure were due to infrastructure repair, road work or some kind of emergency. But it’s a sporting event. Taxpayers are being denied access to a taxpayer-funded road, for some of us the only way off or onto our property, for a sporting event.