Newmarket construction crew becomes protector of nature's cute creatures

The cuteness overload of these baby snapping turtles will make your day; and other updates from Newmarket's sewage system project

Newmarkettoday.ca
October 25, 2019
Kim Champion

One doesn’t expect a touching moment of nature to emerge from a construction site where crews are microtunnelling to install a new sewage pipe in Newmarket, but that’s exactly what happened.

As a construction compound was set up at Cane Parkway and Mulock Drive, one of 10 locations throughout the town where work is being done to improve the reliability of the town’s sewage system, workers were alerted that a mother snapping turtle laid her eggs this spring close to the microtunnelling, or drilling, that was being carried out.

“This was concerning to us because these snapping turtles are a species of special concern, they can become endangered and they are vulnerable,” said Jose Manalo, the Region of York’s force main twinning project manager. “We mentioned that to our contractor and we worked with environmental specialists and construction staff, and created protection barriers around the eggs.”

It was a challenge that proved surmountable when, much to the delight of workers on the site earlier this month, about 30 baby snapping turtles began to emerge from the ground.

“When they hatch, they’re around the size of my thumb, two to five centimetres in length, you can hold them in your palm,” Manalo said. “Environmental specialists helped guide them toward the creek and away from construction. And there they were walking down to the river. It brought smiles to a lot of people at the office because the baby snapping turtles are so cute.”

Snapping turtles have been known to lay their eggs in the spring near the Town of Newmarket’s municipal office, among other local places. The temperature needed for incubation is sensitive and must not be disturbed.

“All summer long we’ve been doing our best to protect them, and it’s one of those scenarios where it’s so close to the construction compound,” Manalo said. “About three weeks ago they started hatching out of the ground. It goes to show that we can work with nature even though we’re doing construction. It’s a great example of working with our surroundings, and not having to destroy what’s there.”

With the help of Lake Simcoe and Region Conservation Authority, all the baby turtles have been safely relocated to a nearby wetland.

The Region of York’s short video showing the tiny turtles hatch has so far generated 2,000 views on its Facebook page.

The Region’s followers thanked the construction crew for keeping a close eye on the cute little guys.

“So happy to hear you have been watching and protecting these little creatures! Well done, York Region conservation,” Julie Kyte said in a comment.

While the survival of the snapping turtles is one good news story to come out of the major sewage project, there are others, Manalo said.

Work on the new 5.1-kilometre sewage pipe that will run alongside the town’s one existing pipe is on schedule for completion in December 2021. The $110.6-million project is necessary to ensure the health and safety of the community and the environment, a Region spokesperson said.

“By the end of 2019, we will have completed drilling at three locations, that includes all the work south of Mulock Drive from Cane Parkway,” said Manalo. “And from Fairy Lake to the Bogart Creek Pumping Station, on Hamilton Street, that work will be done by the end of this year, as well.”

That’s a result of cooperation between the contractor, the consultant, the Region and the Town of Newmarket, added Manalo.

The fact that temporary road closures have been avoided for Cotter and Pearson streets is also a win for residents, Manalo said.

That site was slated for open-cut construction, which would have required closures that would snarl traffic in the area of Fairy Lake to the nearby Bogart Creek Pumping Station.

“We are underground grilling there now, instead, so we are avoiding those road closures because we don’t need anymore road closures in this area,” he said. “That was the one big key issue when we started the project, if we could do that little portion underground, and we were able to do that so that was a win.”

The underground drilling, or micro-tunnelling, finds workers about 10 to 15 metres below ground. All drilling for the sewage pipe project will be completed by the end of 2020.

“They had good weather for working underground this summer, but now they’re battling the usual Canadian weather, with some rainy periods this fall,” said Manalo.

“The force main twinning will give us a second sewage force main pipe that runs along Newmarket so that we can transfer the current sewage flow to the new pipe, and maintain the old 36-year-old pipe,” he said, adding the town’s original pipe hasn’t been inspected since it first started operating due to continuous growth.

“The best way to ensure the pipe is running at peak capacity is to transfer the flow, inspect it and do any repairs that are necessary,” Manalo said. “Newmarket is the only municipality in the region that doesn’t have a twin force main.”

Full completion is scheduled for December 2021. The drilling aspect will be finished by the end of 2020. That means the new pipe is underground, will be running and crews will be able to switch the flow to the new pipe.

The Region will restore some of the construction site areas by replanting trees and making landscape upgrades, in consultation with the town.