Timmins road nightmare costs resort, scares off guests

A pothole-ravaged Timmins road has a resort seeing red over loses, delivery snarls & cab refusals. The city blames flooding, but no rebuild coming this year.

A gravel section of Norman Street in Timmins, Ont., which runs along the Mattagami River in front of Cedar Meadows Resort & Spa, is currently riddled with potholes – some measuring five inches deep.

Timmins Mayor Michelle Boileau said the issue stems from severe flooding last year that destroyed the asphalt.

“The city had deemed it safer to remove the asphalt, pulverize it and leave the road in that condition,” said Boileau.

Since then, the road has been in rough shape, creating ongoing challenges for Cedar Meadows and its operations.

The resort’s general manager Allan Robert said the condition of Norman Street has led to repeated disruptions, including issues with deliveries and delays with public transportation.

“I send out two or three emails a week – sometimes four – trying to get that road fixed,” said Robert.

“City buses won’t come down Norman. Our food suppliers won’t come down. Purolator won’t come down. Even city cabs.”

City officials said maintenance efforts are ongoing. Boileau said graders are being deployed two or three times a week and that staff are monitoring the situation daily.

“By no means is that the welcome we want to be rolling out for visitors to the community,” said Boileau.

“We are paying close attention to the conditions and exploring our options.”

However, a long-term solution may take time. Boileau said a full reconstruction of the road is required, but it is not expected to happen this summer.

In addition to road concerns, Cedar Meadows said it has faced other recent costs, including $40,000 for water system repairs on municipal property in January.

The business is also adjusting to a two per cent increase in the municipal accommodation tax, which affects guests.

Robert said improving the road should be a priority for the city, since it gets more tax revenue when Cedar Meadows has more guests.

“The lower my occupancy is, the less the city makes,” he said.

“You’d think there would be some urgency to make that road viable for our guests.”

For now, the city said it will continue working with Cedar Meadows to maintain the road at a minimum standard.

Boileau added that as the ground continues to thaw, it should become easier to improve conditions with regular grading.