Freezing rain postpones Parkway talks between city, minister

Mayor Daryl Bennett says a planned visit from a provincial minister, regarding The Parkway, had to be cancelled for Tuesday because of the freezing rain.

Environment and Climate Change Minister Glen Murray was expected in Peterborough.

Bennett said the minister was going to meet with city officials about the province’s expectations for a new, more detailed environmental assessment (EA) of the planned Parkway extension.

Bennett didn’ t mention whether the meeting would be rescheduled.

Murray did make it to Northumberland County on Tuesday to discuss the province’s five-year climate change action plan with Northumberland mayors and municipal officials.

In September, the province told the city it would have to do a new EA before it could carry out a plan to extend The Parkway across the city.

The project is expected to cost $79 million and take up to 20 years to complete.

It would pave over a ribbon of greenspace that’s been used for years as a recreational trail, and it would also put a bridge over Jackson Park (to carry traffic).

After council approved that plan three years ago, the province received 88 appeals from citizens who were unhappy about it.

They were asking the provincial government to order a more-detailed EA. And they got their wish: In September, the province asked the city for that new EA.

But Murray didn’ t specify exactly what new details he expects – hence the meeting.

Also on councillors’ agenda on Monday:

Parkhill Rd. widening:

Councillors plan to start the process of expropriating 13 property frontages, along Parkhill Rd. W., for road widening.

Park hill Rd. W. is about tobe wide ned and re constructed, between Raven wood Dr. and Brealey Dr. The plan includes intersection improvements, as well as a roundabout at Brealey Dr.

New lighting for Market Hall:

Market Hall’s interior is getting energyefficient LEDs to light up the interiors, with help from a federal grant.

Peterborough has been awarded $88,000 from the Canada 150 program.

The money is meant to help the city install energy-efficient lighting for Market Hall’s interior.

Canada 150 is a funding program the feds have established in celebration of the country’s sesquicentennial.

The funding is meant for the rehabilitation or renovation of community buildings. The total cost of the lighting project is going to be $268,000.

Sitting as committee of the whole on Monday, councillors approved a plan to have the city cover the rest of the cost - $180,000 – in order to get the federal grant.

Council had already budgeted for the project: The city was going to do it in 2017, with or without the grant (this just makes it less expensive).

The plan is to replace all existing lighting with high-efficiency LEDs, which is expected to cut energy usage by 56 per cent.

Construction is to start later this year.

Peter borough Economic Development:

City councillors heard from Rhonda Keen an, president and CEO of Peter borough Economic Development, about the agency’ s business plan for 2017.

She noted that the PED will move its offices from Wolfe St. – as well as its visitors’ centre on Crawford Dr. – into the new Venture North building on George St. N( formerly the Promenade building .)

The visitor’s centre is going to close late this year, on Crawford Dr., to make room for the casino that is planned (the Visitors Centre is expected to be torn down).

Peter borough Regional Health Centre:

Dr. Peter McLaughlin, president and CEO of the hospital, and Dr. Mary F er gus on-Paré, chair of the board, spoke to councillors.

McLaughlin said the hospital is in good financial shape, and it has succeeded lately in reducing wait times in its busy emergency department;

Wastewater treatment plant:

Councillors voted to spend $2 million to repair one of the four digest er sat the wastewater treatment plant.

There are four digesters at the plant, and two needed repairs.

In 2015, the city over-budgeted the amount needed to repair one of them. City staff recommends spending the excess money on the first repair job for the second digester (there’s enough money to do it).

The cost to repair the first digester was overestimated because city staff thought the job would be much more extensive, and also because the contractor gave them a very competitive price.

Repair work on the second digester will start late in 2017, and is expected to take six months to complete.