K
I
T
I
M
A
Sentinel
T
Northern
www.northernsentinel.com
Volume 57 No. 32
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
1.34 INCLUDES TAX
$
Tim Hortons to open in Kitimat Dec.1 Sean Glanville Local company Jack Oviatt Contracting has been awarded the contract to build the new Tim Horton’s in Kitimat. The company began breaking ground for the new restaurant last Monday. Before year’s end, coffee lovers here in Kitimat will no longer have to drive to Terrace to get their caffeine fix from the Canadian icon. The Tim Hortons which will be built next to Hollywood Video in the City Centre Mall, is scheduled to open December 1. “It will be an early Christmas present for me and Kitimat,” said mayor Joanne Monaghan. “They (Tim Hortons) told me they are opening December 1st. All kinds of glitches can happen but that’s what they’re hoping for.” When Monaghan announced in the Fall of 2011 that Tim Hortons was coming to town, a hand-
ful of residents were skeptical it was a ploy to get re-elected. “I was told over and over that it (Tim Hortons) was my pipedream because I only said it because I wanted to get re-elected and I thought it was going to be a good election ploy,” laughed Monaghan. “I got a letter from Tim Hortons saying they were going to build here and nobody would believe me.” Mall owner Jerry Minni plans to open up the Tim Hortons and later on the M Hotel which also will be constructed at City Centre Mall. The hotel will have 44 guest rooms, a lobby and a conference room. The breezeway will also become enclosed, lighted and accessible to the public at all times. There will also be modifications to the storefronts under it.
The heavy machinery was in operation Monday morning breaking ground on the site of the new Tim Hortons. The restaurant is scheduled to open December 1. Sean Glanville
City to begin wading pools repairs Sean Glanville Cori Boguski’s and Sharon Reece’s presentation to Council back on Monday, July 16 helped save and will eventually resurrect the wading pools at Chilko and Heron Park from being decommissioned. At the Committee of the Whole meeting on July 23rd Council was supplied with a memo about what it would take to bring the wading pools up to code. The motion for the pools to be maintained and kept open was called and carried. Council had set aside $25,000 to demolish the local landmarks but that money will now be put towards restoring the pools. “We had a budget of $25,000 for demolition of the wading pools which we will now put into repairing the pools. We will see how far that money will go and the Lions Club can also help,” said mayor Joanne Monaghan. The question being asked by many was why not wait to start construction on the wading pools until next summer. Being already August and the average annual closing date for the pools being August 17, that leaves little or no time for citizens to enjoy the pools after the two week construction period. Monaghan explained how moving forward with the project this year instead of waiting until 2013 did have its advan-
tages. They already had the money set aside for demolition at their disposal and starting construction this month will give them a better idea of any additional costs needed to bring the pools up to code. She also mentioned that the two weeks they put in now will put them ahead when they continue the project next summer. “I’m sure we will have to put some more money into it, but if we can get something happening this year and then go further next year is our goal,” said Monaghan. The issue of typical weathering such
as frost and thawing in regards to having this winter set back any work being done now, Monaghan feels would be minimal. “When you have frost and thawing it damages things but the pools have done pretty well over the years,” said Monaghan. “They do have glitches like rebar showing and things have to be covered up to make it safe.” Leisure Services Director Martin Gould and his staff will be given the task of restoring the pools and are scheduled to begin construction immediately. The mayor did not rule out the even-
The Heron Park wading pool seen here has been sitting idle for three consecutive summers. City council recently decided to restore the pool. Sean Glanville
tual possibility of Kitimat building a spray park. Unlike the wading pools, a spray park would not have the headaches over having a lifeguard on duty and the uncertainty of having a summer worker on call pending weather. “In the future council may decide that it wants to do a spray park instead and that would be very good, kids really enjoy those and it’s much safer,” explained Monaghan. The memo Council were presented with reported costs of operating the pools in past years, which Councillor Mary Murphy described as ‘reasonable.’ However, it was the repair bill that raised some eyebrows with costs estimated from $75,000 to $250,000, citing the majority of repairs were due to ‘tripping hazards.’ “I think it’s reasonable, there might be something we can do to raise some funds to keep them,” said Murphy. The reason for the major discrepancy in the cost estimate was dependent on the guidance of Council. They have the option of patching up and repairing the pools or elect to dismantle them and build a spray park which would require no lifeguards. Despite the higher costs, the spray park could easily be the best long term solution.
PM477761
Dix enjoys breakfast with Council...page 5