Skip to content

Conservatory closed temporarily to address safety: City

Fear of falling glass has forced the city’s hand and will see the Centennial Botanical Conservatory closed immediately for up to two months.
189080_634648140478130594
(Leith Dunick, tbnewswatch.com)

Fear of falling glass has forced the city’s hand and will see the Centennial Botanical Conservatory closed immediately for up to two months.

Michael Smith, general manager of facilities and fleet, on Tuesday said the shutdown will give administration time to review options and prepare a report for council, which is expected to consider closing the 45-year-old facility for good in the second phase of the core business review.

“We’ve had a couple of independent reports related to the structural integrity of the facility, so we’re reviewing those reports and we’ll be coming back with recommendations as they relate to remedial work to potential replacement of the glass, specifically for the health and safety issues that have been addressed,” Smith said.

Smith’s department recently took over the day-to-day operations of the facility.

Public safety is first and foremost, he added, explaining just what’s happened to the building in recent months.

“Panes have fallen or parts of the panes have fallen over the last short period of time, up until last year, when six to 10 panes have fallen,” Smith said. “More recently the duration between those panes falling has been more expedited.

“So that’s the concern. The building is 45 years old and is getting aged. So there are some health and safety concerns as it relates to the unawareness or not knowing potentially when the next pane will potentially fall. Those are the issues we’re dealing with.”

City officials had already banned the public from a portion of the building, where the most recent damage occurred.
Smith said luckily no one’s been hurt yet, and that’s the way he wants to keep things, although staff will continue to work at the Conservatory during the extended closure.

“Obviously we want to put measures in place to ensure that that doesn’t happen. Typically now we have staff doing visual inspections and checks from a due diligence perspective,” Smith said. “Staff in the building will be using the proper protection, personal equipment, to make sure they’re not in harm’s way and there are no liability issues.”

The panes have not fallen while the Conservatory has been open to the public, which with the exception of weddings and other reserved photography sessions, is from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Smith agreed the closure comes at a critical juncture in the Conservatory’s future, but said the present situation has nothing to do with what council may or may not decide to do.

Coun. Ken Boshcoff said it’s a bad sign for the facility, which in 2010 cost taxpayers $645,000 in net operating expenses.
 
"Regretfully it confirms that the building is not salvageable at a reasonable cost. We should consider replacing it with a proper facility some day," Boshcoff, said, reached via email.

Coun. Larry Hebert said the closure is the prudent thing to do in the short term, and while it may affect the facility at its current location, he thinks the conservatory concept will survive in Thunder Bay.

"The smaller greenhouses could remain and be worked into local food production with the Food Security Network or the Reginal Food Distribution Association or the District Health Unit," Hebert said, also suggesting there may be interest on the part of those trying to build Lake Superior Place on the city's waterfront.

Mayor Keith Hobbs, contacted by phone at a Toronto airport, said he’s not convinced Tuesday’s closure will have an effect on council’s decision later this year.  He admitted the timing isn’t the best.

“Closing it almost looks like it’s orchestrated, but it’s not,” Hobbs said.

The mayor is on record saying if the facility isn’t being used, it needs to be re-evaluated, adding it will cost between $2 million and $3 million to replace.

Hobbs said he may suggest moving the Conservatory to the waterfront, combined with an art gallery and an aquarium.

 Follow Leith Dunick on Twitter: @LeithDunick

 


 

 



Leith Dunick

About the Author: Leith Dunick

A proud Nova Scotian who has called Thunder Bay home since 2002, Leith is Dougall Media's director of news, but still likes to tell your stories too. Wants his Expos back and to see Neil Young at least one more time. Twitter: @LeithDunick
Read more



push icon
Be the first to read breaking stories. Enable push notifications on your device. Disable anytime.
No thanks