Liverpool residents vent frustrations over ongoing work on Waterloo Street
Residents on Waterloo Street in Liverpool appealed to Region of Queens councillors this week to speed up work on the street. (Rick Conrad)
Residents living on and around Waterloo Street in downtown Liverpool are frustrated with water and sewer upgrades that have been going on for three years.
Christopher Clarke, a former Region of Queens mayor who lives on Bootlegger Road at the end of Waterloo, told councillors this week that the project has disrupted residents’ lives for long enough.
“It’s a disgrace. … For three years, our street has been dug up, and it now, based on a letter that we were sent, looks as though it will go into the fourth year. The construction is being done there with very little consideration to the residents. The place is a mess.”
The work begins at the corner of School and Waterloo streets and extends down the narrow residential street to the water.
Clarke said heavy equipment has been left on the street, signs toppled on people’s lawns, pipes left lying everywhere. Also, a temporary traffic light is set up and the noise from the generator disturbs residents at night.
“Now, I don’t for one minute, criticize the employees who are working there. … This is a very, very badly managed project. And so maybe that’s where the blame should lie.”
And he said he was insulted when the region recently sent residents a letter with an update on the project and told them not to talk about the problems with anybody else but senior staff.
“I didn’t elect the manager. I helped to elect the mayor and the councillor. So if I want to come and talk to anybody, I’m going to come and do it. I’m not going to be told by staff that I’m not allowed to come and talk. But you’ve got to do something to help us. It’s a mess, it’s muddy, it’s going into next year.
“Shut the project down, you know you’re not going to get it done this year. … Fix up the street for us, get at it properly next year, do the job, and plan it. It is an absolute disgrace. I would be ashamed to sit in front of the public and tell them that I am responsible for a job like that.”
Waterloo Street resident Paula Doucet echoed Clarke’s concerns. She told councillors that the work is progressing too slowly and that crews don’t appear to be onsite full time.
She added that elderly residents and those with mobility issues also find it difficult to navigate around the work and the equipment.
“We have two big diggers on our street. One appears to be working. One isn’t working,” she said.
“We’re paying a lot of taxes and I’m getting really tired of this project. You know, I know it needs to be done, I know it will be great when it’s finished. Get it done! If you’ve got to hire more contractors to come in, get it done.”
Mayor Scott Christian said he understood the residents’ concerns.
“I appreciate your frustrations and thank you for your patience, and, yes, we do need to ensure that you have a better experience with respect to that project, so I apologize on behalf of the organization.”
Christian could not be reached for a followup interview.
Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com
