Peterborough Zoo Constructing Sloped Wheelchair-Accessible Walkway Beginning Monday

The Riverview Park and Zoo are beginning construction on a sloped wheelchair-accessible walkway connecting the north parking lot to the playground with work scheduled to begin on Monday.

File Photo.

The zoo estimates its completion on May 12 according to a press release.

Access to existing accessible parking spaces is maintained at all times but alternate spaces and detours will be provided during this time. Access to the Electric Charging Stations are not affected but the public will be notified if this changes.

Funding for the project has been supported by Enabling Accessibility Fund, Employment and Social Development Canada.

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North-End Fire Station Gets Groundbreaking Ceremony From City of Peterborough

The construction of a new Fire Station No. 2 has officially been marked by a groundbreaking ceremony on 100 Marina Blvd. at the former Northcrest Arena location held on Thursday.

Lett Architects Inc. designed the fire station to be completed for the fall of 2024. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The new fire station is replacing the Carnegie Avenue location which was built in 1967. It will aid in making fire response times quicker since you have three minutes to escape a building without injury according to Peterborough Fire Services Chief Chris Snetsinger.

He continues to state that the replacement of Fire Station 2 is necessary as the needs of fire services have evolved since the current station was built in 1967.

“The station has served our community well over the years, but because of its design it has become increasingly challenging to provide the services that are necessary from the existing station,” said Snetsinger. “The new station is designed and strategically located to support our community’s existing neighbourhoods and projected growth.”

The new facility is being built following the Canada Green Building Council’s Zero Carbon Building Standard for both design and performance according to Councillor Leslie Parnell.

The building is designed to achieve net zero energy performance using onsite renewable energy to reduce operating and maintenance costs.

“The new fire station will help position and support our Fire Services workers as they respond to emergency calls in our community,” said Mayor Jeff Leal. “By building it using Zero Carbon standards, we’re reducing our environmental footprint in our delivery of this essential service.”

Construction is expected to be completed in the fall of 2024.

JCB Construction Canada was awarded the construction contract by the City for $10 million.

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Hunter Street East Closed for Construction From Nov. 7-11

Hunter Street East between Rogers and Burnham Street is closing from Nov. 7 to 11 for sanitary and water main installation services announced on Friday.

Rogers Street, Mark Street and Burnham Street are the affected intersections of Hunter Street East during its construction period. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The sidewalk on the south side of Hunter Street East between Mark Street and Rogers Street is closing. Pedestrian access is available on the north sidewalk on Hunter Street. Access to the Rotary Greenway Trail is available during the construction period.

Traffic will be detoured along the following routes:

• Eastbound traffic will travel south on Burnham Street, east on Maria Street and north on Rogers Street

• Westbound traffic will travel south on Rogers Street, west on Maria Street and north on Burnham Street

Local access to businesses and residences in the construction area will be maintained.

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Sherbrooke Street Closure Planned For Oct. 21 and 24

Sherbrooke Street between Bethune Street and Reid Street is closed for periods on Oct. 21 and 24 for grinding and paving work.

During construction, a single northbound lane will be maintained at the intersection of Sherbrooke and Rubidge streets.

Grinding work will be completed on Friday with a road closure from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sherbrooke Street will re-open after 3 p.m. and remain open for the weekend.

Paving will be completed on Monday with a road closure from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

In case of inclement weather, paving will be completed on Tuesday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Detour routes will be posted. Pedestrian access will be available during this period.

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Construction Set To Begin For Morrow Park Community Centre

Construction crews are expected to begin preparations for a $65.5M community centre with an arena, aquatic complex and library at Morrow Park within the next two weeks.

Photo courtesy of Connect Peterborough.

The first phase of the project outlines two 500-seat pads, an elevating running/walking track, landscaping, public washrooms and storage, team change rooms and two multipurpose rooms.

The complex will include an aquatic centre with an eight-lane pool and warm-up therapy pool once all phases are completed.

A 5,000-square-foot Peterborough Public Library branch will replace the permanently closed DelaFosse library branch on Park Street South.

The twin-pad arena will replace the Northcrest Arena, which was torn down due to structural issues last year.

Construction is set to be completed by the fall of 2024.

"Our new community centre is a much-needed project anticipated by many community members with multiple uses included for all ages,” said Coun. Lesley Parnell, arenas, parks and recreation advisory committee chair. “A major silver lining is (an) addition of a new library branch to replace the outdated DelaFosse building. All conveniently located as a hub for local citizens and sports tourism.”

In a July meeting, Peterborough City Council approved Morrow Park at Lansdowne Street and Park Street as the location for the complex.

A pre-planned reconstruction of a section of Lansdowne Street West running next to Morrow Park is being timed to align with the construction of this new community centre.

Site preparation is said to take six to eight weeks.

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Upcoming Construction Closures Planned on Jackson Creek Trail and Trans Canada Trail For Upgrades

The revitalization of Jackson Creek Trail and Trans Canada Trail is closing from Oct. 11 to Dec. 16 for revitalization and construction announced by Otonabee Conservation on Thursday.

File Photo.

Upgrades extend from Ackison Road in Selwyn Township in the west to the concrete bridge at the entrance to Jackson Park.

The trail may reopen earlier should the work be completed sooner according to Otonobee Conservation.

Photo courtesy of Otonabee Conservation.

Construction includes addressing points of erosion, installing culverts, regrading slopes, enhancing bridges, resurfacing of the length of the trail and the addition of benches and educational signage.

During the closure, detours will be in place that will direct trail users to alternate routes using local roads, sidewalks, and multi-use trails that extend from Ackison Road in Selwyn Township, to Parkhill Road West, and Monaghan Road in the City of Peterborough.

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Temporary Fix Will Keep Warsaw Swing Bridge Open Before Full Repair In Fall

After a successful repair to select panels on the Warsaw Swing Bridge more temporary repairs will be made in the coming days ahead of a full repair in the fall.

Photo courtesy of Nathan Holth and Rick McOmber HistoricBridges.

Initially panels were removed, repaired and replaced in an attempt to reduce the noise caused by vehicles using the bridge.

After monitoring the progress Parks Canada has determined the repair was successful in reducing noise but there are still panels that will need repair.

In the coming days additional temporary hold-downs will be installed. To minimize impacts on traffic, the work will be carried out during regular bridge swings. The bridge will not be closed, though delays due to extended bridge swings can be expected. The repair work will not impact navigation along the waterway.

Parks Canada advises that traffic control measures which were put in place a few weeks ago to slow down traffic approaching the bridge are still in place and will remain until the temporary work has been completed.

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City of Peterborough Invites Businesses To Bid On Space In New Arena and Aquatics Complex

The City of Peterborough is inviting submission of interest for space to lease in the soon-to-be-built community centre on the corner of Lansdowne and Park Streets as well as in Healthy Planet Arena.

Photo By Luke Best

“The ability for a local business to reside in a city community arena facility is a great opportunity for the business to directly reach our patrons,” said Sue Warrington, the City’s Arena Division Manager. “It’s a win-win situation for the local business and the City when their product or service meets the needs of our patrons.”

The approximately 1,720 square foot leasable space will be on the second level of the upcoming arena and aquatics complex. 

Construction is scheduled to begin in fall 2022, with an anticipated completion date of fall 2024. It will be built at the southeast corner of Lansdowne Street West and Park Street. 

There is also space available for lease in the Healthy Planet Arena. The area is on the main floor near the facility's entrance and is approximately 620 square feet.

Businesses are invited to review the details and submit Expressions of Interest for the leased space online at: www.peterborough.ca/bidsandtenders.

There are sponsorship opportunities at the new Arena and Aquatics Complex, including building naming rights, ice pad naming rights, and many other sponsorship marketing profiles. 

Any business or corporation with sponsorship interests in the new facility is invited to visit www.SponsorPeterborough.ca

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3D Printed Homes May Be The Answer To Peterborough's Housing Crisis As Habitat For Humanity Partners With Local 3D Construction Company

Habitat for Humanity Peterborough & Kawartha Region has partnered with local 3D construction builder Cormor Inc. in hopes to create affordable homes and combat the housing crisis in Peterborough.

The recent completion of a multi-unit condo building by Habitat for Humanity on Leahy’s Lane in Peterborough enabled 41 families to move into their forever homes. File photo.

According to a release by Habitat for Humanity, residential homes and multi-unit dwellings constructed through 3D print technology are more durable, sustainable, affordable, and quicker to build, providing families with a safe and stable home for generations to come.

“At a period when the housing crisis is at an all-time high, we are excited about this unique new type of construction that will allow us to build faster, save more money, and produce much less construction waste going into the landfill, keeping our environmental footprint in front of mind,” said Habitat for Humanity Peterborough & Kawartha Region CEO, Susan Zambonin.

Habitat construction projects in partnership with Cormor are slated to begin in 2023 and Habitat and Cormor are looking for innovative land developers/owners in the region that want to collaborate on getting more homeowners into their decent and affordable homes.

“We are thrilled about this dynamic partnership with the team at Habitat for Humanity and look forward to showcasing this innovative new form of construction/design,” said Dwight Corcoran, CEO of Cormor. "There is a local, national and global housing crisis, and our goal is to be a Canadian leader in demonstrating how this 3D technology will redefine affordable living. It will also give these families peace of mind knowing their 3D homes are built to withstand severe and unpredictable storms that are more prevalent in this era of climate change.”

With Habitat for Humanity Peterborough & Kawartha Region’s assistance, homeowner families can achieve the stability, strength, and self-reliance they need to build better lives. Families are empowered to overcome the barriers that so often stand between their families and better, healthier, more financially stable lives.

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Construction At Scott Mills Damn Nearing Completion

The project to replace the Scotts Mills Dam at Lock 19 in Peterborough has reached a significant milestone: all work on the new dam below the waterline is now complete.

Photo courtesy of Parks Canada.

The remaining work includes the placement of decking and railings on the dam, log lifter rails on the remaining sluices, and wall work on the east bank of the river adjacent to the dam.

Following removal of the cofferdams and trestle bridge, grading and landscaping of the east access and construction laydown area will occur.

The remaining construction activities will involve using a vibration attachment to remove steel piles from the existing cofferdam and bridge structure and are expected to continue for the next few months. T

he grading and landscaping will involve large equipment movement on the east bank. These activities will generate higher levels of noise than experienced in recent months.

A reminder that heavy noise-generating activities will be limited to the following times:

• Monday – Saturday: 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. 

• Sunday: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

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