City councillors gave the green light Monday night to almost $500,000 in upgrades to two of Orillia’s most popular parks.
At Monday night’s council committee meeting, councillors agreed to award a $300,000 contract to Michael Scott Landscaping for an ambitious upgrade to Victoria Park.
Coun. Ted Emond successfully lobbied his colleagues to add almost $78,000 to the project price tag to improve accessibility at the park located at the corner of Coldwater Road and Patrick Street.
The project, identified in the 2014 Parks, Recreation and Culture Master Plan, calls for “heritage-inspired, pedestrian-level lighting,” improved signage and a “centrally located seating area where the existing heritage-related public art can be displayed and used as a place-making identifier.”
As part of the project, pedestrian entrances into the park would be upgraded and “the play and splash areas (would be upgraded) to include a hard surface plaza that creates a revitalized community gathering space and includes a modest shade pavilion as well as seating area. This includes connecting the splash pad and playground area to the main pathway to provide accessible access.”
A key element of the plan is replacement of the walkway through the park. Staff recommended the “least expensive” option of an asphalt walkway – something Emond appreciated but successfully lobbied his colleagues to enhance.
Emond said when “making these upgrades to our oldest park” it makes more sense to build a longer-lasting concrete walkway and to include a ramp “that would make the walkway through the park accessible.”
The Ward 1 councillor said it makes more sense to spend the additional money now.
“I’m always a believer you can save a few dollars and spend a lot of dollars a little later,” said Emond. He noted asphalt sidewalks “tend to warp and need replacement in a relatively short period of time while concrete ones have a fairly good life. I think if we’re going to make these changes in our park, let’s do it right the first time.”
Mayor Steve Clarke agreed, noting accessibility was vital. He said this sentence from the staff report resonated with him: “Without the concrete pathway ramp, the full length of the pathway through the park would not be accessible due to stairs that are required to negotiate the grade change at the center of the park.”
If council opted not to include the ramp, the mayor said “that would create, perhaps, two different classes of users of the park. I wish not to see that.”
Ultimately, council agreed and approved the elevated cost ($300,079) for the project – the second phase of a project started in 2017 when council established a $300,000 budget for upgrades to Victoria Park.
Last year, a new archway comprised of two field-stone columns and lamp posts were built, leaving a budget of approximately $242,800 available. The additional funds will be taken from a park reserve account.
City councillors also approved the final stage of boardwalk repairs for the Lake Couchiching waterfront park.
The waterfront boardwalk project includes replacement of the decking and supportive timber structure for a portion of the existing waterfront boardwalk. The final sections of the boardwalk require replacement to address both safety and aesthetic considerations.
These sections were not replaced in previous upgrades due to their proximity to the construction of the new Orillia Waterfront Centre and will be completed within this project, said a staff report.
The project includes the replacement of 526 square metres of the boardwalk, supporting framework and top decking. It also includes supply, delivery and installation of seven bollard lights along the boardwalk and site clean-up at project completion.
Once this project is the complete, the entire waterfront boardwalk will have been upgraded, resulting “in an up-to-date waterfront boardwalk.”
The $171,185 bid from C&C Built Right Ltd, the lowest of seven bids (the highest was $298,000), was accepted. C&C also completed boardwalk upgrades at the park in 2017. “The workmanship and professionalism demonstrated by the company received a favourable review,” noted staff.
Decisions made at Monday’s council committee meeting must be ratified at the next city council meeting, April 23.
