THUNDER BAY — City officials are keeping their fingers crossed for government funding for one capital project that has the potential to significantly impact the timing of another important project.
Both the Boulevard Lake Dam rehabilitation and the widening of the remaining two-lane stretch of the Golf Links Road/Junot Avenue corridor were approved by city council in this year's budget.
However, in the event that funding for both fails to materialize, only the Boulevard project is likely to proceed.
The city has asked the federal government for $6 million—from the Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund—to be applied to the $7 million fix-up of the century-old dam on the Current River.
If that money is not granted, the last stage of widening Golf Links/Junot, between John Street Road and Walkover Street, will likely have to be postponed. It carries a price tag of $3.7 million.
The work was to include adding two lanes, extending the multi-use trail north to Windsor Street to connect with the Windsor Active Living Corridor, installing a pedestrian crossover, and extending water and sanitary sewer mains.
Federal sources are now expected to release their decision late next month.
"We were expecting an announcement on that by the end of April, but I understand now that it's being deferred," city project engineer Rick Harms said this week.
"We're optimistic about this, but we really can't make confirmation until we hear this," Harms said.
Even as it waits for word from Ottawa, the city has invited bids from contractors for the road project.
Harms said "We have to be ready. So we've completed the design. We've got the project out for construction tender, and we could award in May some time."
In the absence of government funds for the Boulevard Dam, he said, the city will have to "make the call" on the road project, which could include postponement. "We'd hate to do that," Harms added.
Upgrading of the dam, a project that has also been postponed for several years, is not expected to begin in earnest until 2020, but some preparatory work could occur before winter.
