A project update was supplied to City Council on November 5, 2015, advising of progress on Fire Station #2 and the status of delays encountered for Fire Station #5 because of compliance with the Endangered Species Act (ESA).

From 2014 until early 2016, Administration worked extensively with subject matter experts at Amec (now Wood) to devise a Species at Risk Mitigation Plan that would be acceptable to the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry.

In early 2016, ESA Permit AY-C-007-15 (“Permit”) was issued by the MNRF on March 1st 2016, allowing the City to construct Fire Station #5 on the proposed project site (Figure 1), under specific terms and conditions (MNRF 2016a). Requirements for the site detailed a habitat compensation and ten-year monitoring plan, including both on and off-site mitigation measures. These included dedicated training for each worker participating in the project, reporting procedures in case of conflict with a species at risk, restrictions on methods of construction activity and the creation of replacement habitat within the Spring Garden Area of Natural and Scientific Interest.

At its meeting of August 2, 2016, City Council approved CR472/2016:

I. THAT the report regarding the Award of Tender for Tender 110-16, Construction of New Fire Hall No. 5 BE RECEIVED FOR INFORMATION, and

II. THAT APPROVAL BE GIVEN to enter into an agreement with Amico Design- Build Inc. for the construction of Fire Hall No. 5 in the amount of $4,202,500.00 (excluding HST) and that the Chief Administrative Officer and City Clerk BE AUTHORIZED to sign the agreement, satisfactory in technical content to the City Engineer, in financial content to the City Treasurer, and in form to the City Solicitor; and

III. THAT in keeping with the Disposal of Land Policy, Section 4.1.3 the following improved real property BE DECLARED surplus to the needs of the Corporation:

1905 Cabana Road West – situated on the south side of Cabana Road  West opposite the Charlevoix Avenue intersection.

Legal Description: Part Lot 2, Concession 4 or 2, Sandwich West; McNiff  L’Assumption, designated as Part 2 on Plan 12R-2766

Lot size: 180 feet X 183 feet 

Building size: approximately 5,546 square feet 

IV. That the Manager of Real Estate Services BE DIRECTED to list the improved property municipally known as 1905 Cabana Road West on the MLS at a time as determined by the City Solicitor, and

V. THAT in order to supply the required new line of service as it relates to ongoing Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) commitments under s.17(2)(c) of the Endangered Species Act, 2007, Council APPROVE a pre- commitment of $50,000 to the 2017 Operating Budget for the Parks Department, and