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Sarnia

Sarnia street resurfacing approved, city council in brief

Cope Construction and Contracting has been awarded a nearly $2 million contract for asphalt resurfacing in the city.

Seven projects were included in the tender:

• Marlborough Lane (St. Clair Parkway to Virgil Ave.) • Wayne Avenue (LaSalle Line to Marlborough Lane) • Pontiac Drive (London Road to Exmouth Street) • Michigan Line (Waterworks Road to Telfer Road) • Maxwell Street (Indian Road to Copeland Road) • Charlesworth Drive (Christina Street North to Colborne Road) • Devine Street (Indian Road to East Street)

The city said additional roads may be considered if funding remains after completing the planned list.

The city is conducting one of its largest road rehabilitation programs in history this year.

Blackwell Road from Confederation Line to Churchill Line is currently out for tender as part of the Oversize Load Corridor Project.

Another resurfacing tender has yet to be released focusing on roads in the north end of the city.

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A total of 526 more streetlights will be converted to LED in the city.

Sarnia council approved a nearly $332,000 proposal from Bluewater Power Monday.

The city started converting existing streetlight heads to more energy efficient ones in 2014.

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Sarnia council has accepted a $200,000 donation from CAER toward the purchase of a new mobile command unit.

The donation will be paid over two years and put toward the total $800,000 cost.

The current command unit, set to be retired in 2022, has been deployed to 21 incidents in the past six months including fires, homicides, sudden deaths and training exercises.

Council did not discuss what will be included in the purchase of the new vehicle.

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Sarnia council has directed staff to abandon the closure and sale of Sunset Lane in Bright's Grove.

Ownership of the laneway will remain with the city.

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A plan to commission drawings to expand and improve accessibility of the Bright's Grove Library could be considered this year.

Staff think it could cost $250,000 and council has suggested using federal gas tax funds to pay for it.

Council has asked staff to report back on how much 2021 gas tax funding would be left if the library project were approved.

The city typically uses its gas tax funding on bridge and culvert projects and other larger one-time projects.

City council already approved spending $1.8 million of gas tax funding in the 2021 budget, after receiving $2.27 million in initial funding and an additional $2.2 million in one-time top-up funding.

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Council has accepted a $132,000 tender for the demolition of Germain Arena.

Corporate Services General Manager David Logan said references for Salandria Ltds. were "glowing" and the price point was beneficial to the city.

Chief Administrative Officer Chris Carter said staff would be reporting back with plans council can consider for the site.

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A landscaped area and tribute to one of the Sarnia Heritage Committee's founding members will be established around the Centennial Cairn at city hall.

The stone cairn, topped by a thermometer, was originally erected near the library at Christina Street and Wellington Street, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the naming of the city in 1936.

It was removed in the 50s.

The heritage committee secured funding from council to erect a replica on the southeast corner of the city hall property in 2003 and member, Patricia Mclean, paid $5,300 for a new thermometer to be custom built.

She died in 2020.

A commemorative bench or plaque will be placed at the landscaped area to honour Mclean.

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Council has also endorsed the Central United Church Board plan to refurbish the granite cairn at the west end of Devine Street.

It was placed there in 1932 to mark the location of the first church /school/mission in Lambton County.

The city designated it as a heritage site in 1994.

While the church closed last November, the board of trustees decided at its meeting March 16 to undertake the restoration as a legacy project and cover the costs.

 

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