Gratitude flows early for the expansion of the Collingwood Water Works

Hydration was on everyone’s minds in the 30-degree heat on June 19, which was fitting for the City of Collingwood’s official groundbreaking for a water treatment plant expansion.

The $270 million project was awarded to Kenaidan in April this year, and once construction is completed over the next six to seven years, it will add enough treated drinking water for 24,000 homes (or the business equivalent) in Collingwood, New Tecumseth and The Blue Mountains.

There will also be enough equipment in the building to supply drinking water to another 36,000 homes (or equivalent).

Sonya Skinner, Collingwood’s Chief Administrative Officer, served as MC for the groundbreaking speeches and offered the city’s “heartfelt gratitude” to the people who attended and the residents of Collingwood.

“It’s a really monumental project,” Skinner said. “It’s a new era of safe, sustainable, residential, commercial and industrial opportunities for Collingwood and our partner municipalities of 25 years and more.”

The project has been long overdue, and in 2016 there is talk of the need to begin planning for expansion. Early internal estimates suggested the project could be done for $60 million.

MP Brian Saunderson, who attended the event, said the hot weather reminded him of the heated council meeting on April 27, 2021, when he was mayor, and the majority of the council voted to implement an interim control bylaw, which froze development due to limited water capacity. . While the control bylaw was in place, anyone who wanted to build in Collingwood needed an exemption through a special application process.

As the city got closer to awarding a bid for the expansion, the price rose to its current price of $270 million.

Skinner admitted that the project’s steadily increasing costs were one of the biggest challenges.

“We’ve worked a lot with the boards and the people who represent us in different orders of government, our engineering community and our development community, all of whom have been very innovative, very supportive,” Skinner said.

She said the current design represents “good planning” and anticipates future growth without requiring another major construction project. Except for a new intake pipe, which will be needed in the future. The current intake pipeline, which was laid in 1969, stretches one kilometer into Georgian Bay.

The city of New Tecumseth is covering 63 percent of the cost of the plant expansion. They will receive their share of the water (250 cubic meters per day) through a 60 kilometer pipeline connecting the two communities. New Tecumseth has received potable water from Collingwood since 1999.

New Tecumseth Mayor Richard Norcross expressed his gratitude to Collingwood and his city staff, as well as to Saunderson and Councilman Terry Dowdall for the late-night phone calls and frequent conversations leading up to the project bid.

“You made it happen,” he said. “You made it work.”

Norcross, however, wanted to stay out of any cost-sharing discussions for the future intake pipeline.

“We’re broke, we’ve got nothing left to give!” he joked. “We don’t have any more money. In fact, the council takes turns on weekends, we do lemonade stands.”

On a more serious note, Norcross also mentioned Honda Canada’s announcement of a $15.5 billion investment in its Alliston plant, which came after the tender for the water plant expansion was awarded. New Tecumseth also had to freeze development due to limited water supplies.

Mayor Yvonne Hamlin shared the podium with her youth mayor, Grace Johnson, who was there to remind the crowd of the “generational” impact of the expansion project.

“I will be almost 20 years old by the time this plant is fully completed, and I will remember being a part of this celebration for the rest of my life,” Johnson said. “Thank you to everyone who made this possible.”

Mayor Hamlin continued with thanks.

“It’s been a collaboration,” Hamlin said, thanking the staff and city councils of Collingwood and New Tecumseth. “I’m glad that we can be a community that enjoys a place on Georgian Bay and has access to this amazing water and that we can share with the community (of New Tecumseth) their growth and their needs.”

John Goffredo, Kenaidan president, was also on hand to congratulate the city on a “great plan” and a nice-looking water treatment plant that keeps the views and green space around the water open to the public.

“You guys are going to get a beautiful build,” Goffredo said, adding his own promise that the crew will work diligently to make sure the build process is as seamless as possible.

The project is expected to be completed in 2029.