Council has awarded the tender for the $250,000 Waterfront Garden Canada 150 project.
It’s the second phase of the project which will see a plaza-style area created on the waterfront, across the street from the pedestrian underpass.
It will include an open gathering space with a large maple leaf built into the paving stones.
A few weeks ago, Councillor Gary Gardiner said he couldn’t support the project.
But that’s all changed.
“I had commented about the life cycle costs of the pavers. But in fact, most of the surface is concrete and the pavers are sort of an exterior rim around it,” he says. “So, I’m not concerned about that anymore.”
Gardiner adds the rendering he originally saw didn’t really express what’s happening with the project, which he says will create a unique space and will complement the waterfront.
Councillor Mark King says the waterfront has a special meaning for him noting his father Don King, a long-time councillor himself, was involved in the development.
“He always said the waterfront was designed as a people place,” King says. “This is just another step in what can be a tremendous place for people. That’s what it was designed for.”
A staff report points out the North Bay Heritage Gardeners have committed over $54,000 to the project.
