City awards $31-million contract for sewage treatment plant upgrade

Mississauga-based Maple Reinders Construction Ltd. was awarded a $31-million contract this week for upgrading work on the West End Wastewater Treatment Plant at 55 Allen's Side Road.

The west-end plant handles about one-third of Sault Ste. Marie's sewage.

The low tender of $31,440,700 (excluding HST) was about $959,300 less than the city expected to pay.

One other company, North America Construction (1993) Ltd., bid $33,840,777.

The construction job will include:

• removal of various process equipment throughout the plant
• installation of pre-selected process equipment
• building a new septage unloading station
• building a new headworks building
• upgrades to the existing sludge dewatering building
• upgrades to mechanical equipment, including replacement of air-handling units, ducting, adding new odour removal fans and stacks
• upgrades and repairs to various structural, architectural and electrical components of existing facilities
• installation of two new walk-in back-up generators
• various road, fencing, and site civil works
• coordination of the upgrades with the operators to maintain full operations at the plant

Also on Monday, Avery Construction Ltd. won a $1.7-million contract for improvements to Northern Avenue.

That job involves resurfacing of a 1,700-metre stretch of Northern Avenue from Reid Street to Pine Street, conversion from four lanes to three lanes with dedicated painted bicycle lanes between North Street and Pine, building a new transit hub at Sault College and a small access road to the college.

The Northern Avenue work will include pavement rehabilitation, a new sidewalk, curb repairs and related construction.

The only other bidder was Ellwood Robinson Inc., which bid $2.2 million.

Avery hasn't previously done asphalt paving for the city, but has recently acquired the equipment and experienced workers to do the job.

Other news from this week's Sault Ste. Marie City Council meeting:

• Toromont CAT will provide the city with an articulated wheel loader for $261,970 and a 25-ton articulated haul truck for $407,725
• Prouse Chevrolet will provide one 4x4 pickup truck for $40,249 and one 4x2 pickup for $34,392
• Altec Industries Ltd. was awarded a $255,112 contract to supply a forestry aerial lift truck
• councillors approved three resolutions related to the COVID-19 emergency. They called on higher levels of government to (1) provide more emergency financial assistance for municipalities (2) allow Sault Ste. Marie to develop its own schedule for lifting COVID-19 restrictions (3) provide better Internet access for students and people working from home because of the coronavirus
• city officials scaled down earlier plans for giant concrete letters spelling 'Sault Ste. Marie' to welcome visitors coming off the International Bridge. Instead, they'll erect a less-expensive steel sign, similar to the city's other welcome signs. The steel sign on Huron Street, will be framed by $40,000 worth of landscaping fit for an international welcome
• councillors agreed to set Sept, 30, 2023, as their preferred date to turn over the Sault's 'blue box' recycling program to full responsibility of producers of packaging, printed paper and paper
• Mayor Provenzano called on Saultites to self-examine to find ways of opposing racism and anti-Black racism