Coulter Parkette, as seen prior to the first round of renovations in November 2017.
Hub Staff
The Town of Saugeen Shores will again be using the talents of Saugeen District Secondary School (SDSS) construction students to complete a community project, this time at Coulter Parkette in downtown Port Elgin. Under the tutelage of teacher Bud Halpin and Town Staff the students will help create a pavilion similar to the one constructed at Fairy Lake.
A staff report presented to Saugeen Shores councillors during the March 12 Council meeting said staff sought the help of the SDSS construction class after a quote from CSL Group Ltd. exceeded “previously quoted provisional costs.” The pavilion as well as a water feature had been later added to the original project scope at the request of the Port Elgin BIA; and while $30,000 had been set aside for the pavilion, the company, who had completed the refurbishment at Coulter Parkette in November 2017 quoted $108,000 for that portion of the project.
The staff report said that Timmerman Timberworks Inc. would be providing the student project with supplies, the same material used for the Fairy Lake pavilion, at a cost of $33,895 with additional costs for roofing and construction bringing the total to $42,000. The project is expected to be completed by July 1.
The Port Elgin BIA had previously made a commitment to contribute $25,000 to the pavilion project including the water feature that was completed by CSL Group for the provisional cost of $22,500. The report to councillors noted a shortfall of $28,115 that would need to be funded.
In a vote 6-3, Council voted to finance the shortfall from the Parks Reserve Fund.
Councillor and Port Elgin BIA Council Representative Mike Myatt said using the Parks Reserve Fund for the pavilion project is money well spent. “It’s an opportunity... was the project a little bit over spent, absolutely, but I think talking to many of the downtown businesses, there’s an appetite for some change in downtown Port Elgin,” Myatt said. “It’s a good use of funds I believe,” he added.
“When it’s all said and done the people in Port Elgin, Saugeen Shores the downtown businesses, are going to be very, very happy with the end product they see at Coulter Parkette. It’s going to be a really nice attraction for downtown Port Elgin,” said Myatt.
