THUNDER BAY – A planned pavilion in Waverley Park has cleared a $101,500 hurdle – thanks to an 11th-hour intervention by the taxpayer.
City council on Monday night approved a loan to cover the difference between the $191,500 the Coalition for Waverley Park had raised to pay for the project and $293,000 lowest tender that came back from local contractors.
At risk was a $95,000 FedNor Grant, through the Canada 150 program, which stipulated the construction on the project must be complete no later than March 31, 2018.
Keith Nymark, president of the Coalition for Waverley Park, was thrilled with the result.
“I thought the discussion tonight by council was really reasoned,” Nymark said. “I thought it was very well thought out. I give them a lot of credit. They’ve been on board and supported it and they recognize the value of Waverley Park as a central park in this city.”
It’s the second time the municipality has contributed to the project, having earlier given $76,000 through its community partnership fund. The latest funding would have to be paid back if the group is able to secure further funding from other sources.
Nymark said they have been encouraged to apply for a Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation grant and there might be other sources of money available to the coalition.
But that won’t happen overnight and with winter bearing down, timing is everything he said.
“Our biggest problem right now is that it take time to get responses from those organizations,” Nymark said.
The coalition has raised $20,000 on its own.
Coun. Andrew Foulds on Monday brought forward the successful motion – unanimously ratified later Monday night during the city council portion of the weekly council meeting – asking the money be drawn from the rate stabilization fund.
His reasoning was the park belongs to the city already and that the group had worked hard to secure $191,500, noting it was through no fault of their own the tenders are came in six figures beyond what they budgeted for in 2015.
“Do we want a usable facility or do we want an iconic facility that speaks to that park,” Foulds said, adding it’s not the fault of the coalition that the tenders came in well over expectations.
“It’s just my view if we cheap out now and do half a job, will the job get done in the future.”
Foulds reasoned it’s a city-owned park to begin with and the pavilion is a welcome addition that will allow theatre, weddings and acoustic musical performances to take place in the park.
Red River Coun. Brian McKinnon threw his full support behind the motion.
“I think this is something that will add to the whole heritage district,” McKinnon said.
“It’s time for us to pay the piper,” he added later.
Mayor Keith Hobbs agreed.
“This is an iconic building and an iconic park.”
A band-shell previously existed on the site, but was torn down a decade ago.
