In this week’s Building Links:
- Ucluelet: Seeking a General Contractor to complete the estimated $12 million Water Treatment Plant.
- Courtenay: RFP issued for a pedestrian pathway on Lake Trail Road.
- Campbell River: SRD is moving forward with an AAP to borrow up to $57.1 million for the Rod Brind’Amour Arena.
Ucluelet: Seeking a General Contractor to complete the estimated $12 million Water Treatment Plant.
The District of Ucluelet invites tenders from qualified General Contractors to complete the remaining scope of work for the Water Treatment Plant. The District has already retained a pre-engineered building supplier/installer (JCI Buildings Inc, $1.13 million) and a pressure filter supplier (AWC Water Solutions Ltd, $1.46 million). The scope generally includes earthworks & concrete works, building mechanical & plumbing systems, process piping & equipment, additional equipment supply & installation, interior building finishes, site grading & civil works, and coordination of commissioning activities with the selected suppliers and other project stakeholders. The district’s original water treatment project included: Upgrading the Lost Shoe Creek Filtration Plant, Enhancing the Bay Street Filtration Plant; and Constructing a new water storage reservoir at estimated project cost of $20.745 million (2022 dollars). Due to escalating costs and rising interest rates, the new plan only includes design and construction of a new Lost Shoe Creek Treatment Plant. The estimated construction costs are approximately $12 million (2024 dollars). The tender closes August 28; see the tender section for more details.
Courtenay: RFP issued for a pedestrian pathway on Lake Trail Road.
Council has directed staff to proceed with construction of Phase 1 of this project in the fall 2025 and a tender was released on July 25, with closing August 18. An optional pre-tender site meeting is to be held on August 6, 2025. See this week’s tender section for details. In November 2024, an environmental consultation identified a portion of the roadside ditching along the frontage of 2693 Lake Trail Road to be an environmentally sensitive and fish bearing portion of Arden Creek. The ditching is within critical habitat of the endangered Morrison Brook Lamprey. This discovery required further environmental permitting requirements and some project redesign. A Request for Review to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans likely won’t be complete until April 2026. However, the BC Active Transportation Fund has a grant deadline of March 31, 2026. As a result, staff have recommended to split the project into phases over the next two years to account for the additional environmental work. Phase 1 is works that do not impact critically environmentally sensitive errors. This would include pedestrian pathway and signage improvements between Lake Trail Community School to Arden Road on the north side, as well as a second section from Weldon to Arden Road; upgrades to the north side bike line from Webb Road to Arden Road; transit improvements in front of Lake Trail Community School; and localized drainage upgrades. Phase 1 costs are estimated to be approximately $825,000, within the available project budget. The intent is construction for the Fall of 2025. Phase 2 would include the Western half of the project from Arden Road to Arden Elementary School including DFO required environmental works and would occur in the summer of 2026 in the DFO window of July 14-August 6. The total estimated price for the project based on a phased implementation is $2,107,750.
Campbell River: SRD is moving forward with an AAP to borrow up to $57.1 million for the Rod Brind’Amour Arena.
The Strathcona Regional District Board has approved the launch of a second Alternative Approval Process following authorization from the Inspector of Municipalities. This AAP relates to Bylaw No. 607, which would authorize the SRD to borrow up to $57.1 million to support Phase 2 of the REC-REATE project—the full renovation and modernization of the Rod Brind’Amour Arena. Phase 1 of the project, funded through a previously approved borrowing bylaw (Bylaw No. 342), includes a new Aquatic and Wellness Centre featuring an 8-lane, 25-metre lap pool, therapy pool, leisure pool, hot pool, and enhanced fitness and wellness spaces. This phase is under construction with Heatherbrae Builders. Phase 2 focuses on the Rod Brind’Amour Arena and is expected to include increased spectator seating to meet Junior A standards, a new indoor walking track offering all-weather, year-round fitness, modern team and referee rooms, enhanced accessibility and circulation, warm-area viewing, and multipurpose and viewing spaces. Other upgrades include a new elevator, concessions on both levels, space for a second-floor beer garden, and new ice melt pits to improve rink operations. Design work for the arena was completed in May 2025, and construction could begin in Spring 2026, concurrent with the completion of Phase 1.
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