Council sets date for opening ceremony of Central Carleton Community Complex
Hartland’s new recreation complex is set to open to the public on Friday, Nov. 15, with hockey games, public skating, and tours planned.
Hartland Chief Administrative Officer Rob Webber updated the town council during a meeting on Oct. 8. He said the opening of the could be earlier. Still, town staff decided to have a buffer for potential certification delays.
Webber told River Valley Sun that a fire pump inspection is set for Oct. 17, and a fire marshal inspection is planned for approximately a week after that.
“Any time you have inspections they can find things and then work has to be done and that may or may not affect the schedule,” said Webber.
The CAO said ice installation will begin on Oct. 21 and will be a 12-day process.
“We’ve been in communication with the (hockey) teams that intend to play in our arena and told them we won’t be planning to open until the 15th (of November),” said Webber.
Webber said staff are waiting to order items such as material for the community and fitness rooms and a cleaning machine to scrub the walking track floor and other parts of the building.
Hockey games are already planned for the facility’s opening day, with a Hartland Huskies game on the evening of Nov. 15.
Webber said a ribbon-cutting ceremony will precede the game.
“We’re looking at when to schedule that game because the preference would be to have a ribbon cutting after 5 or even 6 p.m. so people are able to attend and wouldn’t interrupt their work day.”
Also planned for the facility’s opening weekend are games for the Minor Hockey Association, North West AAA Bulls, Western Valley Panthers, and the ladies’ league.
Town looking at upgrading water and sewer to support housing growth
Hartland council discussed an assessment from Dillon Consulting Limited on the town’s water and sewer system. Webber told the River Valley Sun the assessment was to determine if the town had capacity for adding 100 to 200 units of housing, particularly on Rockland Road.
Webber said one of these developments has the town negotiating the sale of the property on Rockland Road below the Hartland Community School. Webber said the town has an MOU with the developer with the hope of seeing the construction of an apartment building begin in 2025.
“The assessments [from Dillon Consulting] have come back and there are some adjustments or upgrades… that may be required depending on the exact scale,” said Webber.
Going over the recommendations from Dillon Consulting, Webber said the firm suggested a separating curtain in the town’s sewage lagoon for sledging that could potentially cost $100,000.
“We’ve also looking for some time…at doing an aerator replacement,” said Webber. “Our aerators are older and we’ve looked at two different models.”
Another recommendation from Dillon was adding a third well.
Webber said the town would meet with Dillon the following week to review the recommendations.
Town amends five-year plan to include fire truck purchase
Hartland Treasurer Tina Pelkey updated the council on the town’s five-year Canada Community Building Fund (CCBF) plan. Pelkey noted an amendment to help purchase a fire truck after learning lagoon dredging is no longer covered.
Submissions for the CCBF include $170,000 of a total $400,000 cost for a new fire truck; $105,000 for paving of Route 105; and $134,000 for new lagoon aerators.
Another part of the submission is the extension of water and sewer to support development on Rockland Road. Pelkey said the town’s portion of funding will come from the CCBF, with the town merging funds “to take advantage of other funding opportunities that are coming our way.”
Pelkey added that $130,000 that can’t be used for lagoon dredging will be moved to funds for street work.
In all, the town’s CCBF submission is a total of $983,000, plus $9,000 from the town’s interest account. Pelkey said she anticipates $1.3 million in provincial funding, $20,000 from the private sector, and $472,860 from borrowing and donations.
Council approved a motion to accept the 2024-2028 CCBF with proposed amendments.
Town in discussions with ACOA and RDC for waterfront project
Giving a brief update on the town’s waterfront project, Communications and Development Specialist Michelle Derrah said staff are working with ACOA and the Regional Development Corporation.
Derrah said ACOA wanted the Department of Tourism, Heritage and Culture feedback as the project is being viewed “with a tourism lens.”
During Pelkey’s update on the CCBF plan, she noted the waterfront project had been downscaled in scope, along with the library and park being pulled out of the infrastructure project.
Derrah said a meeting with ACOA was planned for later in October.
