Town invests thousands of dollars for local improvements

Miriam Ostermann, Times Associate Editor

With the town’s decision to borrow funds to fuel capital improvements, land purchasing and building for municipal purposes, an estimated $6 million are being distributed to a much-needed facelift to numerous town initiatives and facilities in light of Canada’s 150 years since confederation.
With the majority of funds supplied by the multi-million-dollar borrowing bylaw, seven Strathmore-based infrastructure upgrades will face construction this year.
“It’s a lot of wonderful projects and they’re feel-good projects too,” said Chuck Procter, planner with the Town of Strathmore. “You can’t go wrong with upgrading the pool, improving the library, the park and downtown. This is stuff the community uses all the time. It’s an investment in our town.”
The Canada 150 infrastructure upgrades include enclosing the water slide, adding a steam room, providing a chair lift and upgrading the heating, ventilation and air conditioning system at the Strathmore Aquatic Centre.
To upgrade the 26-year-old refrigeration plant that accommodates both ice surfaces at the Strathmore Family Centre, a total of $900,000 – $450,000 from the Municipal Sustainability Initiative (MSI) and $450,000 through a federal grant – are being allocated to provide the facilities with more efficient and energy conscious technology.
Furthermore, renovations to the Lambert Centre to allow for a library expansion is set to start construction in a few weeks, while money is also being invested in the Gray’s Park and Pathway project.
Residents can also expect Kinsmen Park to receive enhancements, in the form of a sand blast and new coat of paint to the park furniture, and new lighting, as well as playground replacement and greenery.
At the end of the month, the Downtown Enhancement project will add plaza areas, new sidewalks, street furniture, greenery, planters, and decorative lighting to Strathmore’s core.
Lastly, years since its conception, the Community Pavillion will be constructed on the north side of Kinsmen Park. The project was partly funded by the local Let’s Make a Pitch event in 2014, and will serve as an outdoor multi-use community building for a possible market space and events rental space.
“Some of them had been on the books for a long time,” said Tracy Simpson, communications and event officer for the Town of Strathmore and project lead for the Strathmore Family Centre, Lambert Centre renovations, and the Strathmore Aquatic Centre.
Despite monetary distribution from the $6 million borrowing bylaw that the town of Strathmore acquired earlier this year, several of the projects received funding from the MRI fund and through federal grants.
“One of the biggest challenges is aging infrastructure and how to maintain them and not overburden your taxpayers,” she said. “The facilities get up there in age and that can cost money. Getting grants from the federal government is a great way to improve what we can offer people.”
While not all tenders have yet been completed, Simpson estimated the total to equal close to $6 million. All projects are scheduled to begin construction this year.