funding announcement PAGE A3
Friday, February 20, 2015
Hartridges finishing their tour PAGE A15
VOL. 101 NO. 49
Site decided Whitney Griffiths Observer Reporter Joint Planning unanimously agreed to proceed with the arena replacement project on the proposed site during Tuesday’s meeting. In order to proceed with the proposed site, the North Cariboo Joint Planning Committee (NCJPC) directed staff to work with CEI Architecture and the recently-acquired project manager, MKT Development Group Inc. to include valuable engineering suggestions to align project costs more closely with the budget, without losing the spirit and intent of the referendum. The project was approved, by referendum, for $17 million, while a most recent cost estimate came in at $23.3 million. One cost-saving option was to build the new West Fraser Centre on the existing Arena 1 site. Although Mark Hentze, from CEI Architecture and Peter Mitchel, from MKT Development Group agreed building on the existing site would provide many cost-saving options. This includes, but not limited to, potential savings from not purchasing additional property, as well as the extra cost of a second ice plant – the impact on the community was a primary concern among NCJPC members and the public gathered for the meeting. This option leaves arena
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users with only one ice surface, resulting in the loss of at least one season, an option many were not in favour of. The committee then chose to endorse proceeding with the arena replacement project on the proposed site, located on the parking lot of the former library. “The NCJPC believes that going to tender with these design changes will, given current market conditions and significant design and contraction contingencies built into the cost estimates, gets us a bid in the $17 million range that we have permissive authority to spend on this project,” Mayor Bob Simpson said. “This will also avoid considerable uncertainty and negative community impacts associated with attempting to build the arena on the existing arena 1 site and the loss of that venue for more than a season. “I’m confident that the unanimous decision we made will enable this project to proceed in a timely manner and within the spirit and intent of the referendum.” During the meeting, the project manager also confirmed that now that final location has been determined, the construction drawings can be completed by June with a Request for Proposals from general contractors to follow in August and September. Construction is scheduled to commence in the spring of 2016.
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students heading to provincials PAGE A17
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March declared Epilepsy Awareness Month Mayor Bob Simpson, and Epilepsy Quesnel’s Natasha Wasmuth were in the mayor’s office for the signing of the declaration. March 26 is Purple Day and Wasmuth and her team are fundraising to establish two more beds in the Adult Seizure Investigation Unit at VGH where currently two beds serve the entire province. Annie Gallant photo
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