In 1983, the Balaclava Dam was purchased by the Ministry of Government Services due to concerns raised about low lake levels and poor dam operations. The dam supported a bridge on Scotch Bush Road which therefore involved the County of Renfrew. In 2012 and 2013, modifications were made to the dam and bridge structure to separate the two. Cost for the project was shared between the Ministry of Natural Resources and the County of Renfrew. This project was undertaken because the aging nature of the structure of the dam. The freeze and thaw cycles could no longer be contained within the 90-year-old concrete. Concerns about the dam's ability to control floods were cited by the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR), owner of the Balaclava Dam, and owner of over 300 other dams in the Province of Ontario. Further, the MNR cited it needed to be in compliance with requirements of subsection 35(2) of the Fisheries Act. This involved decommissioning Balaclava dam and the roadway above it, removing old structures, building a new and larger dam which was accomplished in 2013. The deed to the local area was purchased in the late 1980s by Michael Huneault, and is now in possession of Wendy Huneault. In 2016, Joey Huneault started small reconstructions of some of the buildings.Huneault personal records
