Mayor Lowry shares this report on the successful completion of the upgrades to Mill Street and the area:
After two long construction seasons, it was finally time to show off our revamped downtown this weekend!
Members of Council & staff, along with Lori, Kay and Cindy Cavanagh and members from the Thomas Cavanagh Construction Limited team joined together to celebrate with downtown business owners and the community.
The downtown revitalization project is one of the biggest capital projects in recent history. I am very pleased to share that not only was it completed on time, but below budget.
This project has been in the works since 2011 to replace water and sewer pipes dating back to the 1930s.
The end result is:
- 500 metres of new watermain
- 400 metres of new sanitary sewers
- 300 metres of new storm sewers
This is to ensure continued delivery of clean, safe drinking water, and improve our drainage systems.
We now also have:
- new sidewalks to meet accessibility standards
- additional accessibility features like tactile blister paving at intersections
- traffic calming measures
- heightened pedestrian safety
- fresh landscaping including 48 new trees replacing the 14 previously in the downtown core.
Thanks to a Tourism Relief Fund grant, we have added 11 benches, receptacles, and bike racks throughout the main street.
We also received a Canada Community Revitalization Fund grant to the tune of $750,000, which lessens the impact of this project on the taxpayer and water & sewer service ratepayers.
From design through construction, Municipal staff have put an extraordinary amount of effort into this project. In particular, I’d like to acknowledge Cory Smith, Public Works Director; Rob Smith, Project Manager; and the entire Waterworks Team for their great efforts over the length of this project.
Our contractor, Thomas Cavanagh Construction Limited: thank you for your hard work, professional attitude and for getting the job done on schedule and on budget.
Biggest thank you reserved for our downtown business community for your incredible patience and perseverance. Coming out of the pandemic and into a major construction project was not easy, but you weathered the construction and celebration each milestone right along with us. We are so fortunate to have an incredible variety of businesses who make our downtown forever friendly
I invite you all to take a walk through our new downtown. Rediscover Mill Street and find some new favourites in our beautiful downtown!
