Park pavilion improvements coming

By Sean Feagan, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Strathmore’s outdoor pavilion in Kinsmen Park, which houses the town’s farmers market, will be getting improvements so the structure can better serve the community through all types of weather.

On May 6, town council voted for administration to go ahead with upgrades to the town’s pavilion, including bringing water and power to the structure and installing retractable shades to block wind and rain. 

The pavilion was constructed as a Canada 150 project in 2017 to bring more people into Strathmore’s core, said Mayor Pat Fule during the meeting.

“We wanted to try to bring more people into the downtown area, and we thought that the farmers market downtown would be a good way to do that,” he said.

The upgrades “will be a chance for the facility to be used in three seasons comfortably, and to help the vendors be comfortable in their events that are going to be happening again once we can all get together,” said Fule.

The improvements were developed from feedback from farmers market vendors and other users of the pavilion, said Ryan Roycroft, Town of Strathmore director of infrastructure, operations and development.

“What we’ve heard from the farmers market is that they want to make (the structure) more versatile,” said Roycroft. “Get power, get water – it starts making it more useful.”

Town council and administration have discussed improving the structure by enclosing it and bringing power and water to the site. However, given how the structure was constructed, there is no cost-effective way of enclosing it.

“Even if structurally it would hold together, it was never designed for the wind load,” said Roycroft. “Realistically, it would probably be more cost-effective to rebuild it if council wanted a full enclosure.”

Instead, town staff recommended the installation of a fabric cover system that is “almost a curtain wall” that can be pulled down or retracted based on the weather. Roycroft said the material works well to block wind and rain, but is not as effective as a heat insulator.

The system will also accommodate vendors who like to park their trucks halfway into the structure, said Roycroft. Because it is not enclosed, a propane space heater could be set up to warm the space.

The cost of the project will be about $81,000, which includes a 10 per cent discount provided by the contractor. A garage door system was also considered as an option, but “it is not a pretty solution” and would cost about $220,000, noted Roycroft.

The budget includes a provision for tents for vendors to set up in the south parking lot for the rest of the construction season. However, tents may not be required, as “it is looking like farmers markets will be a big part of our life this summer,” said Roycroft.

The upgrades are budgeted under the town’s Strathmore Commons project, so no further money is required.