REGULAR AGENDA – AGENDA 53
CORPORATION OF THE TOWNSHIP OF LAIRD

1927

1. Call to Order

Mayor Evoy called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m.

2. Declaration of Pecuniary Interest

Councillor Rydall filed a declaration of pecuniary interest with Agenda Item 4. a. Bluenose Road Association, i. Request for an increase in the annual Road Maintenance stipend., as Councillor Rydall provides snow renewal services to the road association.

3. Agenda Approval

Councillor Rydall excused himself from the council chambers due to a declaration of pecuniary interest for agenda item 4. a. i. Request for an increase in the annual Road Maintenance stipend.

4. Delegations and Presentations

a. Bluenose Road Association, Chair and Secretary Treasurer, Adrian Poll and Rod Eels

• i. Request for an increase in the annual Road Maintenance stipend.

  The Chair and Secretary Treasurer, Adrian Poll and Rod Eels, requested that council consider an increase for the Bluenose Road Association, as winter maintenance is a big part of the budget, and costs are continuing to go up, and they would like more help for winter.

  #58-26
  Moved by: Brad Shewfelt
  Seconded by: Matt Frolick

  BE IT RESOLVED THAT Council direct staff to update the report on private and unmaintained roads with updated information related to MPAC and grant subsidies.

  Carried.

5. Adoption of Minutes of Previous Meeting

• a. Council Regular Meeting – February 19, 2026
• b. Recreation Committee Meeting – March 2, 2026

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6. Adoption of Accounts

a. General accounts to February 28, 2026

b. Roads accounts to February 28, 2026

7. Closed Session

• a. Personal matters about an identifiable individual, including municipal or local board employees

8. Staff and Committee Reports

a. Road Superintendent (Roads, Waste Disposal & Recycling, and Maintenance)

• i. Road Superintendent Report – Verbal Report

  #64-26
  Moved by: Matt Frolick
  Seconded by: Wayne Junor

  BE IT RESOLVED THAT Council receives the Road Superintendent Report dated March 19, 2026, as presented.

  Carried.

• ii. Memo: 2026 Annual Road Tour

  #65-26
  Moved by: Brad Shewfelt
  Seconded by: Wayne Junor

  BE IT RESOLVED THAT Council receives the 2026 Annual Road Tour report dated March 19, 2026;
  And Further That Council schedule the Annual Road Tour for September of each year to review completed road work, assess future priority areas, and support budget and Five-Year Plan deliberations.

  Carried.

1929

• iii. Street Lighting – Verbal Report

  That staff include the costs of street-lighting replacement in the draft budget for Council’s budget deliberations.

b. Clerk Administrator, Deputy Treasurer

• i. Clerk’s Report – Verbal Report

  #66-26
  Moved by: Todd Rydall
  Seconded by: Matt Folick

  BE IT RESOLVED THAT Council receives the Clerk’s Report dated March 19, 2026, as presented;
  AND THAT Council appoint Todd Rydall and Brad Shewfelt as the two voting representatives for the Algoma District Mayor Association (ADMA) and Shawn Evoy as the alternate, to attend the ADMA Spring Meeting on April 18, 2026;
  AND THAT Council set a joint meeting date with Tarbutt Township for April 21, 2026, at the Laird Hall.

  Carried.

• ii. 2025 Annual Report

  #67-26
  Moved by: Brad Shewfelt
  Seconded by: Wayne Junor

  BE IT RESOLVED THAT Council receive the 2025 Annual Report, prepared in accordance with Council’s 2023 direction that an Annual Report be issued each January, providing a high-level summary of the previous year’s activities of Council, Staff, and volunteers;
  AND FURTHER acknowledges that Staff have posted the report on the Township website and included notice of its availability in the February newsletter.

  Carried.

• iii. Task Summary Sheet & Recent Activity Log
• iv. Concern/Information Log – Updates

  #68-26
  Moved by: Brad Shewfelt
  Seconded by: Todd Rydall

  BE IT RESOLVED THAT Council receives the March 19, 2026, Task Summary Sheet & Recent Activity Log and the Concern/Information Log as presented.

  Carried.

c. Treasurer’s Report

• i. Memo: Building Permit Annual Report for 2025

  #69-26
  Moved by: Todd Rydall
  Seconded by: Brad Shewfelt

  BE IT RESOLVED THAT Council receives the report on Building Permits 2025.

  Carried.

• ii. Memo: Financial Investment – Update Jan. – Dec. 2025

  #70-26
  Moved by: Matt Frolick
  Seconded by: Wayne Junor

  BE IT REOLVED THAT Council receives the report on Financial Investment Update Jan. – Dec. 2025 from the Treasurer as information.

  Carried.

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• iii. Memo: Tax Collection Report

  #71-26
  Moved by: Brad Shewfelt
  Seconded by: Wayne Junor

  BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Tax Collection Information Report from the Treasurer-Deputy Clerk be received.

  Carried.

• iv. Memo: 2026 Roads Department Budget Requests

  #72-26
  Moved by: Todd Rydall
  Seconded by: Matt Frolick

  BE IT RESOLVED THAT Council receives the 2026 Roads Department Budget Request Report as presented;
  AND THAT staff be directed to incorporate the Roads Department Budget into the draft 2026 Municipal Budget for Council’s consideration at the Special Council meeting scheduled for April 2, 2026.

  Carried.

d. Recreation Committee & Recreation Sub-Committees

e. Cemetery Board

f. Planning Board

• i. Planning Board Delegation – Mayor Evoy

  #73-26
  Moved by: Todd Rydall
  Seconded by: Wayne Junor

  BE IT RESOLVED THAT Council direct Mayor Evoy to attend the March 24, 2026, Planning Board meeting as a delegate for the purpose of presenting Laird Township’s Official Plan objectives and to request information on the consultation process, the remaining steps in the Official Plan review, and the budget status, and further that the Mayor report back to Council on the outcomes of these discussions.

  Carried.

g. Police Detachment Board

h. Algoma District Services Administrative Board (ADSAB)

• i. ADSAB Meeting Minutes – January 8, 2026

i. Algoma District Municipal Association (ADMA)

9. Unfinished Business

a. Memo: User Fees and Charges By-law

10. New Business

a. Amalgamated Request for Quotes – Bi-annual OSIM Bridge Inspection 2026

b. 2026 FONOM Conference May 11-13, 2026 in Timmins, ON

11. Notices of Motion

12. Communications and Correspondence

• a. Dr. Harold S. Trefry Memorial Centre, RE: Municipal Partners with March for Meals, March 2, 2026.
• b. Support Resolution: Township of Assiginack, RE: Retain Lifelabs locations in Northern Ontario, January 20, 2026.

  #77-26
  Moved by: Todd Rydall
  Seconded by: Wayne Junor

  BE IT RESOLVED THAT COUNCIL of the Township of Laird supports the Township of Assiginack in their efforts to retain Lifelabs locations in Northern Ontario;
  AND THAT this resolution be forwarded to all Townships within the Central Algoma catchment area, the Honourable Doug Ford, Premier of Ontario, and Bill Rosenberg, MPP.

  Carried.

• c. Bar River/Echo Bay United Church Outreach Committee, RE: Thank you for continued support, February 25, 2026.
• d. Crime Stoppers, RE: Thank You for Supporting Crime Stoppers in 2026, February 18, 2026.
• e. Globe and Mail Article “We can’t afford to wait: The Northern Ontario mayor pushing for a safer Trans-Canada Highway”, March 3, 2026

  FONOM requested that the Globe and Mail Article on the state of Northern Highways be shared with the Mayor, Council and Senior Staff.

• f. Support Resolution: Township of McNab/Braeside, RE: Ontario Heritage Organization Development Grant Advocacy, February 17, 2026.

  #78-26
  Moved by: Matt Frolick
  Seconded by: Todd Rydall

  BE IT RESOLVED THAT COUNCIL of the Township of Laird supports the Township of McNab/Braeside in their efforts to support the review and modernization of the Heritage Organization Development Grant, including

  1932

  restoring its real purchasing power through inflationary adjustment and exploring options for increased or multi-year operating stability;
  AND THAT this resolution be forwarded to the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Gaming, and AMO.

  Carried.

13. Mayor and Council Comments

14. By-laws

a. 2076-26 Appointment of an Additional Weed Inspector

b. 2077-26 User Fees and Charges By-law

c. 2078-26 Conformity By-law

15. Adjournment