French River meeting summaries, agendas, and minutes

French River agendas: food bank space deal, $60,770.65 paving contract, Ash Bay Road zoning hearing

Council meetings were scheduled in French River on Oct. 7 and Oct. 15, according to the agendas for those dates. Minutes for all three sessions have not been published, so the record supplied does not show what council decided on any item. The agendas list a proposed space agreement to keep the French River Food Bank housed, a $60,770.65 paving contract for the Alban Community Centre, and a zoning amendment request for a two-storey accessory building on Ash Bay Road.

Food bank space agreement with St. David Parish

The Oct. 7 regular meeting agenda included proposed By-law 2026-54, a Maintenance and Space-use Agreement with Paroisse St. David Parish to provide space for the French River Food Bank and for snow dump use. The agenda states that the food bank's lease at 37 St. Antoine ends Nov. 1, 2026.

Zoning hearing: 510B Ash Bay Road

A special meeting and public hearing at 5:30 p.m. on Oct. 7 dealt with Zoning By-law Amendment application ZBA 26-14FR, filed by Chris and Linda Melchior. The application seeks a site-specific amendment to allow a detached accessory building up to 7.29 metres high and two storeys at 510B Ash Bay Road.

Proposed By-law 2026-53 would amend Zoning By-law 2014-23 for the property, described in the agenda as Lot 16, Concession 4, Township of Scollard, Parcel 21312 Sudbury East Section, Roll No. 5201-050-000-213-00. The hearing was set for the French River Municipal Office, 44 St. Christophe Street, Suite 1, Noelville. Written or oral comments for or against the amendment could be made at the hearing, and the agenda notes information is available at the Sudbury East Planning Board, 39 Lafontaine Street, Unit 4, Warren. The agenda does not state whether the amendment was approved, rejected or deferred.

Alban Community Centre: paving and upgrades

The Oct. 15 special meeting agenda listed a resolution to award a contract for paving the front parking area at the Alban Community Centre to Beamish Construction Inc. for $60,770.65. The work as described includes approximately 18 parking spaces, driving lanes and line markings, and is part of a larger multi-year upgrade project for the facility. The agenda also lists generator, kitchen and roof rehabilitation work as part of those upgrades. Separately, the Oct. 7 regular agenda listed a contract award for the Alban Community Centre roof.

Other business on the Oct. 7 regular agenda

• By-law 2026-52 to appoint Baker Tilly SNT LLP as auditor, tied to Finance Report 2026-15.
• A resolution to support the Municipal Finance Officers' Association request for a permanent doubling of OCIF funding beyond 2026.
• Contract awards for wood grinding at the Noelville Landfill, the purchase of a trackless sidewalk machine, and a winter maintenance extension with B. Thomas Bulldozing Inc. (By-law 2026-51).
• A resolution to cancel the regular council meeting scheduled for Oct. 21, 2026.

What the record does not show

All three summaries are drawn from agendas only. No minutes or recorded votes were available, so this article cannot report what was approved, rejected or deferred, or by what margin. Dollar figures above are as stated in the agendas and may be proposed contract values rather than amounts paid.

Coming up

The supplied data lists no upcoming meetings in the next 14 days. The Oct. 7 agenda included a resolution to cancel the Oct. 21 regular meeting, but the record does not establish whether that resolution passed. Residents should check the Municipality of French River's published meeting calendar for confirmation before attending.

French River ZBA approves rezoning at 66 Smythe Road; council to weigh $650k arena project

French River's zoning board approved a rezoning for three lots on Smythe Road at a special meeting July 8, while council's regular meeting the same day set out several pending decisions — including a $650,000 arena upgrade and the municipality's share of the 2026 police budget.

Zoning amendment passed for 66 Smythe Road

The French River Zoning By-law Amendment (ZBA) committee passed By-law 2026-39, rezoning three lots at 66 Smythe Road in Alban from Rural (RU) to Rural Residential (RR). The application, file 26-09FR, was made by Sheila and David Niemeyer. The by-law was read a first, second, and third time and finally passed. Minutes from the meeting have not yet been published.

Council agenda: arena project, police contribution, building by-law

Council's July 8 regular meeting was agenda-only, meaning the following items were scheduled for consideration but outcomes are not yet recorded.

Council was set to vote on a $6,569.20 contribution to the Sudbury East OPP Detachment Board's 2026 budget.

A larger item on the agenda: authorization to apply to the federal Build Communities Strong Fund for an arena dasher board replacement and fire suppression system totaling $650,000, with up to $325,000 in federal funding and the municipal share covering the remainder.

Council was also scheduled to adopt Building By-law 2026-40, award the purchase of thermal imaging cameras for the fire department, and receive a report on the April 2026 flooding event that affected 20 roads and led to a declared state of emergency.

OPP detachment board to review 2026 budget

The Sudbury East OPP Detachment Board met June 29 on an agenda-only basis. Items included the Detachment Commander's Q2 report, 2025 financial results, and the proposed 2026 police budget. The board was to decide whether any surplus is carried forward or added to the reserve fund, which must equal 10% of the annual operating budget.

The board was also scheduled to approve the French-Nipissing West Strategic Plan for 2026–2029 and note a change in Police Services Advisor: Ron LeClair becomes primary advisor effective September 1, 2026, with Tom Gervais continuing to support the board.

Coming up

July 23 — Property Standards & By-law Appeal Committee: A public hearing is scheduled for an appeal of a vicious dog designation concerning a dog named Jack, owned by Vicki Dunleavy at 301 Riverview Drive, Alban (File No. 2026-01). Each side will have 30 minutes for evidence and 5 minutes for closing submissions. The committee will then recess to a closed session under Municipal Act Section 239(2)(b) for personal matters about an identifiable individual, followed by an oral decision. Minutes from the committee's December 18, 2024 meeting are also on the agenda.