Park to get new multi-court pad

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Timmins-based Secord Construction has been awarded a contract for the supply and installation of a new multi-court concrete pad at Roy Nicholson Park.

The company’s bid ($194,194, plus HST) — the lowest of four received during the tender process — was approved during Tuesday’s city council meeting.

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“This is a new facility that was approved in the 2020 capital budget,” said Mark Jensen, the city’s director of Community & Development Services.

“This proposed pad would actually encourage activities all year round.

“As councillors are aware, it is a very popular park for skating and hockey, obviously in the winter.

“What we are trying to do is leverage the success of the park and create a pad we can continue to use for hockey.”

He pointed out some of the summer uses for the pad could include pickleball and basketball.

In addition to expanding the number of sports that could make use of the facility, the director of Community & Development Services noted some efficiencies would be created.

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“It would minimize the amount of effort we have to incur in terms of putting up and taking down the boards,” Jensen said.

The written report that accompanied his presentation noted, an estimated $ 2,500 per year in labour costs would be saved by the city.

“Phase 2 will see the purchase of modular hockey rink boards (less time consuming to install/remove) with the remaining monies from this project,” it reads.

Jensen said, “The budget for this project, as identified in the capital program, was approved at $260,000.

“So, we are recommending council move ahead with passing a bylaw this evening recommending Secord Construction be awarded the contract to complete this work.”

In addition to the successful bid from Secord Construction, three others were received — Timmins-based Cy Rheault Construction Ltd ($195,000), Sudbury-based Interpaving ($207,722) and Turner Valley, Alta.,-based Whidden Construction Group ($233,377.37).

While Ward 4 Coun. John Curley was supportive of the project, located in Ward 5, he wondered if there might be an opportunity for others across the city, as well.

“That is a heavily used area and people look forward to using that park, in all seasons, but is this something we are going to be looking at doing elsewhere?” he asked.

“I will use the example of the one at Melview Park, in that subdivision. They put up the boards, they are shoveling and they are doing everything all the time over there.

“The kids are out playing basketball. It is a great play area and all we have for them is broken-up asphalt, nets that are off-set, falling down.

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“Are we looking at doing further upgrades? I see we have some savings, so we might be able to address their concerns over there.

“Last year, it was brought forward and I was hoping it was going to get done this year.”

Jensen replied, “We can certainly look at that. We have been doing this for a number of years now, following the Recreation Master Plan that was completed a few years back.

“The recommendation, to keep up with current trends, is rather than creating single-use courts, we move towards multiple-use courts, which as I said, we have been doing, so we will certainly keep doing that as we move forward.

“We will welcome any comments council has in terms of the future capital budget.”

While not necessarily opposed to the project, Ward 3 Coun. Joe Campbell was not happy with what he perceived to be a lack of information needed to make an informed decision.

“Has council ever been given a schematic of exactly what you are doing there?” he asked.

Jensen replied, “No, I don’t believe we have provided council with that information. I could get council a copy, but it might be a fairly boring drawing. I could get you something, if you are interested.”

Campbell responded, “Well, you are asking council for $200,000 and later on we are going to get a report from the treasurer, with respect to COVID-19 shortfalls and yet you are asking council tonight to approve a project … if I was going down a list of the ones that needed to be done, during the COVID-19 (pandemic), with the loss of revenue, this would be one I would defer to next year — until we find out where COVID-19 is going.

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“I am not opposed to the project. I am all for recreational opportunities and certainly that is a good location.

“But to approve $200,000 when we have no idea — even from a basic schematic drawing of the site — what we are putting in there, I have difficulty with that.”

During the consent portion of the agenda, Campbell requested the bylaw awarding the contract to Secord Construction be broken out from the other nine when it came time for first and second reading.

Then, later in the meeting, when it came time for third and final reading of the bylaw, City Clerk Steph Palmateer asked Campbell if he wanted his vote recorded.

He declined and said, “I think everybody understood why I voted against this, not because I am not in favour I just didn’t feel comfortable that I had the right amount of information.”

The motion was approved, with Campbell again voting against it.