The ground has been broken for construction of the new Canada Customs and Immigration facility here.
“We hope to have it finished by the end of this year,” said Jim Gartshore, general manager of the Abitibi-Consolidated mill here. “We’re glad to get started and I think it’s going to have a big benefit for the town.”
Revenue Canada and the mill had signed the final agreement Friday morning allowing construction of the new facility to begin immediately.
“We’ve pretty much got that agreement resolved and agreed to. We’re going to start road construction this week,” noted Gartshore. “I believe they’ll start by working on the new parking lot on Portage Avenue and building [the new] Veterans Avenue.”
Construction on the building itself also will begin as soon as the material arrives. “That project will probably happen in the next few weeks,” said Gartshore.
The new facility, built to accommodate more traffic, will be located across from the Ontario Tourism Information Centre on the south side of Church Street.
As part of the work, Mowat Avenue, south of Church Street, and a section of Nelson Street, west of Portage Avenue, will be permanently closed.
The new Veterans Avenue will run south of Church Street and west of Portage Avenue.
“It’s good news,” said Mayor Glenn Witherspoon. “I think it’s probably going to be a little confusing while construction is underway but the aesthetics of the building will be new and [it will be] bigger to suit the needs of the employees.
“Once all the wrinkles for traffic are taken care of, it will be better,” he added.
The mayor also explained that once visitors to Canada turn the corner exiting off the international bridge, the new building will be a welcoming entrance into the country.