Council agrees to get Mount Forest pool project tender-ready

MOUNT FOREST – Wellington North is taking steps to prepare to build a new pool in Mount Forest. 

Tillman Ruth Robinson architects will prepare a detailed design (Class B) cost estimate and tender-ready documents for the pool, previously expected to cost $5.3 million. The engineering work will cost $243,940, and was approved by council during a May 19 meeting.  

The township is aiming to raise $2.5 million for the pool, including local donors and provincial and federal grants. Once it’s raised, council will make a decision about how much it will budget for the project and then put it out for tender. 

So far, about $1.51 million has been raised, including $500,000 from T.D. Smith Transport, $250,000 from the Mount Forest Lions Club and $250,000 from the Township of Southgate.  The $500,000 donation comes with naming rights for up to 20 years, so the pool will be called the T. D. Smith Aquatic Centre.

The Mount Forest Aquatics Ad-Hoc Advisory Committee has been meeting with local businesses, organizations and individuals to pursue further donations, and committee officials say many potential donors want to wait until the project has gone to tender or construction has begun to make a donation, according to a township staff report.   

Township staff also report grant opportunities such as the federal Build Communities Strong Fund are only available for shovel-ready projects.

Staff recommended council obtain the detailed design cost estimate in order to move forward with funding opportunities.  

“The volunteer committee has been working really hard to raise funds for the pool and I think that we need to keep all of our options open when it comes to grant funding,” said councillor Sherry Burke. “Moving this project forward to a Class B estimate would help us be ready for any of those grant opportunities that come along.” 

Councillor Penny Renken agrees: “I think it’s in the whole township’s best interest to ... be able to move forward and have a pool for the community.” 

Mayor Andy Lennox noted the $5.3-million estimate “is a little bit out of date, and we expect it’ll probably change a little bit.” 

He said moving forward with the Class B cost estimate is “absolutely the next important step in the process,” which “can help us in a number of ways, so I’m enthusiastic to see us get on with this as quickly as possible.”