Waterfront work moving on schedule

Work on Phase II of the waterfront project has been underway for about a month and local contractor George Armstrong Co. Ltd. looks to be on schedule to get it done this month.
“June 15 is the deadline and it will be done,” said Bruce Spottiswood, acting manager of Operations and Facilities for the Town of Fort Frances.
“I don’t see any difficulties arising. It’s on schedule, and it’s really starting to look good now,” he added.
Work that remains to be done includes top soil and sodding operations, the paving of the bike path, installing the stone walkway, and the final placement of furnishings.
The work completed so far includes the installation of light standards as well as signage at various points in town directing the way to the waterfront, the in-water work (the sloping, the fish habitat, pilings for the Sorting Gap Marina, and drainage improvements), the curbing along Front Street and the island at the Sorting Gap parking area, and the planting of trees.
While the town will be holding a grand-opening ceremony for the La Verendrye Parkway at 10 a.m. on July 1, Spottiswood noted the June 15 deadline actually is the estimated date for completion for the project.
It is not a date chosen simply because it means it leaves two weeks to prepare the waterfront for the Canada Day celebration.
But the La Verendrye Parkway won’t be the only work being done in that part of town. Last week, town council awarded George Armstrong Co. Ltd. the tender for the reconstruction of Front Street—from Victoria Avenue to mid-block between Crowe Avenue and Mosher Avenue—at the cost of $609,017.25, including taxes.
This job also includes road patching from Crowe Avenue to Butler Avenue, and Butler Avenue to the Sorting Gap Marina.
But with all the waterfront work going on, Spottiswood noted it doesn’t look as if the reconstruction will be completed by July 1, but instead may take until July 15.
“But we’ll have it looking as nice as we can for the [July 1] event,” he pledged.
The town is asking residents to avoid this area as vehicular access may be restricted to local traffic only at times.
While it originally was hoped the project would be done before the end of last year, work on Phase II of the La Verendrye Parkway halted in November after unseasonably cold temperatures last fall.
(Fort Frances Times)