Oxford Welcomes Off-Roaders to Town

The last session of Oxford Town Council before the summer break featured a new bylaw for Off-Highway Vehicles on town streets, a land sale for more residential properties, and a change of mind for the fall municipal elections.

At the top of the agenda was the public hearing on the topic of Off-Highway Vehicles (OHV) access to Main and Water Street in Oxford. The public gallery featured a handful of supporters and one person in opposition, though on both sides of the issue, town staff received the results of petitions and polls in favour and against. 

The majority of opinions favour allowing OHV access between trails via a defined route, and under conditions that restrict speed, require insurance and registration, and with time-of-day restrictions.

Speaking against the proposal, Josephine MacDonald, former Chair of the Accessibility Committee that worked in recent years to advise the town on removing barriers to access for residents, expressed concern that the bylaw was putting OHV access ahead of needed infrastructure upgrades. 

MacDonald cited concerns that sidewalks and crosswalks are in such poor condition that some residents have to resort to using the street instead. MacDonald feels the town should make accessibility a higher priority than enabling OHVs to legally transit along town streets. She noted that opposition to downtown access for OHVs was also voiced by some business owners.

Speaking for the proposal, OHV enthusiast Steve McLellan says he’s travelled in other provinces and throughout eastern Canada, and believes communities that are OHV-friendly are sought out by off-roaders when they plan their excursions. McLellan noted in some businesses frequented by the OHV community, the parking lots held more off-road vehicles than cars.

In the end, councillors unanimously voted to approve the Road Trails Designation Bylaw. This won’t mean OHVs and ATVs will be on town streets immediately. The town must first have signage made and placed along the planned route, as well as advertise the new bylaw to the public. Chief Administrative Officer Linda Cloney expects that process to take at least a month, with OHV access most likely becoming a reality in August.

The town’s Accessibility Committee played a role in two other decisions taken by council. In response to Council’s decision to hold an entirely paper ballot election this fall, the committee requested reconsideration due to accessibility concerns. 

In a letter to Council, committee representatives Amanda Purdy and Megan Marchant suggested a hybrid election, which included internet and telephone voting in addition to casting paper ballots, would ensure that everyone would have the opportunity to vote. 

Councillor Paul Jones expressed doubts that the paper-only model was too onerous for voters. In the earlier discussions that led to the paper ballot decision, Jones had cited cost as the key factor, with the paper ballot cost coming in at approximately $6557, while the hybrid option — paper and electronic — is estimated to cost $11,332. 

Following a short discussion, councillors approved the request and approved — with Jones’ opposition — an election that will include paper ballots as well as telephone and internet voting options.

Also with accessibility concerns, the sidewalk hastily added to the south side of the Water Street bridge over the River Philip apparently has been the scene of a number of near-misses between vehicles and pedestrians. One of the two bridge sidewalks was closed due to safety concerns in November, 2023, prompting the town to add a crosswalk so that pedestrians could use the other side of the bridge.  

The Accessibility Committee asked Council to approve the addition of flashing amber lights to alert drivers to the crosswalk’s location. CAO Cloney said research into the cost of the light installation shows it would cost approximately $7200, with some cost-sharing from the Department of Transportation. Council approved the request.

On the matter of repairs to that bridge, Mayor Greg Henley says his understanding from the Department of Transportation is that the fix is not scheduled for this fiscal year. He cited a bridge sidewalk repair recently performed in Parrsboro that cost $1-million to complete, half of which was paid by the municipality of Cumberland County. A similar cost-sharing impact to the town’s budget would be likely for Oxford as well.

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