Elliot Lake city councillors frustrated after latest arena update
Elliot Lake city councillors appeared to be visibly frustrated on Monday night during a progress update on the Centennial Arena, which has been shuttered since the fall.
Staff was giving council the latest on the situation involving the beleaguered facility after engineers deemed the arena structurally unsafe last September.
The recommendation facing council was to approve the use of the negotiation method to sole source the design of structural repairs through Wood Research and Development Canada with a limit of $186,900.
What they got, however, was a report that outlined some of the delays and challenges staff has been facing.
One of the contractors informed staff in March they would be unable to proceed under the current agreement.
Council questioned staff about the timeline or lack thereof, and when they might see some costs associated with the project.
"I share your disappointment and frustration. The dude sat right in that TV screen and I asked him outright, 'Do you do this often? Do you share responsibilities with other companies,'" Mayor Andrew Wannan said to the city manager.
"And he assured us they do it all the time. To have this come back because of legal is a bit of a slap in the face."
Wannan also questioned staff about why council was just hearing about the delays involving the contractor now.
He was told by the manager involved, staff was in the process of bringing something concrete back to council so they could get further direction.
"It’s such an important part of Elliot Lake, as we saw with 'Kraft Hockeyville'. I mean not everybody cared, but I’d say 97 per cent at least did and we just, we just have to," acting manager of public works Bill Golding said.
"I’m just really reiterating what Mayor Wannan said. We just, whatever it takes, we have to get some construction going on there, not the shoring part, we need to say 'Oh they’re changing the beams.' We just gotta get this thing going."
Despite the delays, Golding told councillors he’s still hopeful they can make the deadline of having the arena ready by the 4th quarter of 2024.
New councillor Helen Lefebvre suggested Golding go back to the contractors involved and try to confirm or push them towards some hard targets to achieve.
"We got a lot of stuff we have to figure out. I’m trying to pull every trick I can to get things moving as fast as I can," Golding told the councillors.
Since installing the sensors in the building, he added, staff has been recording a fair bit of movement over the past month on the site.
"On March 8, they got no less than eight alarms that day," said Golding, who told councillors he would be very surprised if the footings to the arena had been checked five years ago.
He said he stands by his initial decision to have both contractors involved, he’s hoping a new project design agreement, which is expected in the coming weeks, will get things moving.
In his report, Golding writes repairing the facility is still the most prudent way to address the situation.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING 122 active wildfires burning across Canada, 32 considered 'out of control'
The 2024 wildfire season has begun, and it's shaping up to follow last year's unprecedented destruction in kind, with thousands of square kilometres already consumed.
B.C. parents sentenced to 15 years for death of 6-year-old boy
A British Columbia Supreme Court judge has sentenced the mother and stepfather of a six-year-old boy who died from blunt-force trauma in 2018 to 15 years in prison.
Veteran TSN sportscaster Darren Dutchyshen has died
Veteran TSN broadcaster Darren 'Dutch' Dutchyshen, one of Canada’s best-known sports journalists, has died. He was 57. His family says 'he passed as he was surrounded by his closest loved ones.'
Miller scores late as Canucks grind out 3-2 win over Oilers in Game 5
J.T. Miller scored in the final minute of the game and the Vancouver Canucks came back for a 3-2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 5 of their second-round playoff series Thursday.
Think twice before sharing 'heartbreaking' social media posts, RCMP warn
Mounties in B.C. are urging people to think twice before sharing "heartbreaking posts" on social media.
Police issue Canada-wide warrant for Regina homicide suspect
Police have issued a Canada-wide warrant for a man wanted in a homicide which occurred in Regina on May 12.
Trudeau calls New Brunswick's Conservative government a 'disgrace' on women's rights
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau assailed New Brunswick's premier and other conservative leaders on Thursday, calling out the provincial government's position on abortion, LGBTQ youth and climate change.
Kevin Spacey receives star support as he fights to get his career back
Kevin Spacey is pushing back on the 'rush to judgment' against him and is being backed by some big names as he seeks to reclaim his acting career.
Speaker cuts ties with Sask. Party, alleges he faced threats, harassment from gov't MLAs
The Speaker of the Saskatchewan Legislature Randy Weekes has severed ties with the Sask. Party after accusing some members of harassment and intimidation tactics, including a situation he claimed saw the Government House Leader bring a hunting rifle to the legislative building.