A new excavation project is set to get underway on a vacant lot behind the Gibsons pool this year to upgrade liquid infrastructure described as the “kidneys of Gibsons.”
Vancouver Island company Pirate Excavating Ltd. was awarded a contract from the Town of Gibsons worth $814,964 to build a new stormwater management pond in White Tower Park, as well as for landscaping with native plants, fencing, interpretive signage and walking trails.
A total of $955,000 was budgeted for the project, with the difference covering contingency, engineering and contract administration, according to a staff report.
The project, fully funded through a federal and provincial joint Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program grant, will involve excavating a pond on a town-owned lot behind the Gibsons and District Aquatic Centre.
Staff expect the project to get underway in July, with planting scheduled for the fall. The goal is to complete the work by the end of the year.
It will join numerous others in the wooded area of White Tower Park, which act as settling ponds that filter stormwater runoff from Upper Gibsons, which CAO Emanuel Machado has called “the kidneys of Gibsons.”
With the new pond in place, the system will manage 47 hectares of land “and help address long-term erosion and water quality impacts of past development on Charman Creek,” according to the town.
At a June 8 special council meeting, councillors voted to award Pirate Excavating Ltd. the contract, the lower of the two bids. The other tender, from Gibsons-based company Maycon Construction Management, was $1.2 million.
During discussion, Coun. Aleria Ladwig, asked if the town had a policy to prioritize local contracts.
Infrastructure services director Dave Newman explained legislation limits municipalities’ ability to prioritize local contractors, but he is planning to look into whether some projects could be structured as invitation-only, allowing them to keep contracts within the community.
Coun. David Croal said he was surprised a company was able to outbid a local contractor, given transportation and costs related to accommodating staff, adding, “I’m just really thankful we’re finally getting underway with this project. It’s going to be a huge asset.”
