Site assessments are underway for Thunder Bay’s Temporary Shelter Village initiative.
At the last city council meeting, the Hillyard Site was selected to host the village.
The site is located next to 8th Avenue and near Central Avenue.
“So a number of assessments are currently underway, so we’ll be moving ahead with those site reviews,” explained Director of Strategy and Engagement, Cynthia Olsen.
“They include archaeological assessment, environmental impact studies, environmental site assessment, flood assessment and will also be conducting an on-site safety assessment like we’ve done with other locations with community partners.”
“Once we get through those phases, we’ll be able to review the findings, discuss any mitigation measures that might be required and then move into design.”
The city hopes to have the assessments done in the coming weeks, but there is no definitive deadline on when the work will be complete.
“So part of our project timeline was to begin construction in August,” said Olsen. “You know, obviously, we’re right at the brink of August starting at the end of this week, so we’re still hopeful that we’ll be able to meet those timelines, that’s really tied to our funding agreement for the 2.8 million in capital.”
Another task to be completed is getting sewer, water and electricity onto the property.
The services are nearby, but the city notes some additional work will be required to bring them fully onto the site.
The Hillyard Site was a surprise selection to business owners in the area, and the city acknowledges that the owners have concerns.
“We are actually working towards doing a specific session for the nearby businesses, date and time location all to be determined,” added Olsen. “But we are working with the support of the Chamber of Commerce who has been connected with those businesses.”
A Neighbourhood Liaison Committee is being established to help with communication between local businesses, residents, and the city.
The hope is that this will help get issues addressed quickly while also providing an opportunity to highlight successes.
The Hillyard Dog Park and nearby walking trails will be unaffected by the project, according to the city.
