Richard Froese
South Peace News
The Grouard Fire Hall will be upgraded in 2024 to improve drainage and the structure of the building.
At its interim budget meeting Dec. 4-5, Big Lakes County council allocated $165,000 in the interim capital budget to resurface the northern section around the Grouard joint-use facility (the facility also provides space for Big Lakes County Family and Community Support Services) and improve the structure.
“We need significant ditching,” Reeve Tyler Airth noted.
Fire chief Jason Cottingham agreed.
“The big cost will be ditching,” Cottingham said, adding he is considering various options to reduce costs.
“I’m always looking for efficiencies,” says Cottingham says. Currently, the property has no culverts. When the building was constructed in 2009, the apron around the facility was not completed, Pat Olansky, director of community services and planning, told council.
“The current apron is a mix of silt, and clay and can provide challenges in the spring and during rain events,” Olansky said.
She says the area has no drainage system.
“This causes downstream issues and the runoff contains the gravel material and fills the ditches and culverts, increasing maintenance costs to the county,” Olansky said.
Council heard Phase 1 of the 3-phase project will be a higher cost to create the ditches and install culverts.
Another part of the phase is to upgrade part of the structure of the building.
“Sometime after the facility was constructed, staff noticed the second floor was separating from the existing wall and the first floor wall joints were cracking,” Olansky said.
Design Works Engineering and Inspections Ltd. was hired in 2016 to assess the structure. One of the recommendations indicated managing drainage and preventing water infill around the structure would help stabilize the structure.
“Surfacing around the structure would meet that recommendation,” Olansky said.
Other upgrades around the building would be required in the final two phases.