23 people in attendance including Lou Rinaldi, Jim Harrison (Quinte West Councillor), Jim Alyea (Quinte West Councillor), and Craig Kerr (Brighton Councillor)

1. Decide on an interim executive team

2. Bridge update & pooling of information people have

3. Charitable status for the organization

4. Immediate next steps

We established, through show of hands, the following interim executive committee:

Dave Dingle – Chair

Dave Ware of the Canal Store and Phil Spencer – Alternating Co-Chairs

Sarah Roberts, Secretary

Diane Lyndon, Communication & Marketing

Mark Rinaldi, Membership & Awareness

Maria Healey, Research

Craig Kerr – Brighton Municipal Council liaison

Frank Blanchet – BAC – providing meeting music & PA support

Note: This committee will be in place for an interim of 6 months to October 1 2014, after which we will have a more formal election of officers from the membership and more parameters around roles and processes

MCDO has been operational for 5 weeks

We started with Stoney Point Road and our goal to have emergency repairs and to establish a municipal budget allocation for full repairs and reconstruction as needed. Thank-you to Erin Alexander and Craig Kerr for their efforts in getting this done.

Then we found out about the $54 million funding for the Trent Severn Waterway, includes the “Brighton” bridge replacement $4.9 million to fund a single lane + pedestrian bridge with traffic lights on either side. This money must be spent in 2 years – plan is not acceptable.

Good detail about the last 6 months of the replacement bridge funding/communication process from Jim H. and Jim A. of Quinte West Council:

• September 2013 – QW Council meeting the one-lane bridge was rejected. Were told Parks Canada would get back to them in 2 weeks. Didn’t happen.
• November 4, 3012, Jewel Cunningham, Superintendent, Parks Canada provided three scenarios for the bridge:
  • municipalities to accept liability for the bridge
  • cost share with municipality (i.e. kick in the extra $4+million to build a two lane bridge)
  • original plan to replace with a one-lane bridge + pedestrian path for $4.5 million