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City pumped to spruce up Sam Cancilla Park, but how remains to be seen

'Partway through this process, we should probably have a plan for that park,' says councillor
2021-02-03 IM citynamesC
Sam Cancilla Park, near Dunlop Street East and Mulcaster streets, is shown in a file photo. | Ian McInroy for BarrieToday

A little history could go a long way in a Barrie downtown park’s future.

City councillors, sitting as infrastructure and community investment committee Wednesday night, approved a new $2.6-million project — decommissioning the Bayview Park reservoir and completing the removal of its associated booster pumping station at Sam Cancilla Park. The project will be funded from the city’s water capital reserve.

But of most interest is how the park — located near Dunlop and Mulcaster streets — will look once the reservoir and booster pumping station are dealt with by the city.

“Partway through this process, we should probably have a plan for that park, and then at least we can put it back to something that’s usable," said Coun. Clare Riepma. "It’s part of our waterfront, so it’s pretty important.”

Bala Araniyasundaran, Barrie’s general manager of infrastructure and growth management, said there’s no plan now, but it’s coming.

“As part of the assignment, we will decommission the reservoir pump station and try to landscape it in such as way that it can be used,” he said. 

Mayor Alex Nuttall said there has already been some interest from the park’s highrise neighbours and whatever goes there will require public input.

“It’s a careful walk on this one, not a run,” he said. “The reality is it’s a waterfront park and the whole community has the potential to use it if we do it right.”

Michael Prowse, the city’s chief administrative officer, said staff would need some more direction, and likely funding, to do something more significant at the park than what’s proposed now.

“This is sort of the cheap and cheerful option on what to do with the safety issue along the waterfront,” he said. “At the end of the day, what you end up with is a decommissioned facility and a safe park. It doesn’t give you amenities or lifestyle of any of those features.

“If council wants to have a grander vision, some additional direction either now or later would be appropriate," the CAO added. 

The reservoir and pumping station were removed from operation 20 years ago and this infrastructure is not required to be connected to the drinking water system in the future, according to city staff. 

Due to the structure’s age — it was built in the 1950s — and physical location beneath a public park, a structural condition assessment of the site was carried out last April. This was done to understand the associated risks and focus on identifying structural deficiencies, testing the structural components and conducting a structural analysis to determine load capacity of the reservoir roof.

It was determined that the reservoir’s existing underground roof is over-stressed and does not meet the required design load specifications.

As a result, staff say the roof's condition poses a risk to public safety.

The analysis further concluded that the roof structure is inadequate to support public assembly.

The pumping station is attached on the east side of the reservoir, with a portion constructed on top of it. Although a condition assessment and structural analyses were not completed on the pumping station, staff say visual signs of deterioration are present.

As the area surrounding the reservoir has been enclosed with construction fencing to prevent public access, residents are unable to enjoy this waterfront park and greenspace.

To ensure public safety at Sam Cancilla Park, at 157 Dunlop St. E., and allow for daily park operations to restart, a number of measures are necessary — including landscaping maintenance and improvements, partial demolition of the reservoir roof system, filling the empty reservoir with granular material, demolition and removal of the pumping station and its pipeline connections, and decommissioning the overflow pipe connected from the pumping station to Kempenfelt Bay.

This project could go to general committee of city council at its next meeting for approval.



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