North Bay City Council recently approved the award of a $1.896-million contract to EllisDon Corporation for the improvements to the Booth Road and Lakeshore Drive intersection. The total cost of the project is approximately $2.17 million and includes consulting, engineering and construction fees.
City of North Bay staff recommended council award the contract, noting that "traffic demands on Lakeshore Drive are continuing to increase and the improvements are necessary to service the anticipated traffic increases associated with the new community and recreation centre."
Construction and blasting have been underway for weeks at the construction site.
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Per the staff report, "This capital project aims to improve the intersection at Booth Road and Lakeshore Drive. The intersection will be converted into a signalized
intersection, featuring dedicated signalized crossings for active transportation users and pedestrians. These enhancements are designed to manage both current traffic conditions and future increases expected from the opening of the North Bay Community and Recreation Centre."
If the name EllisDon rings a bell, that's because it is the company responsible for the design and build of the new complex located at the Steve Omischl Sports Complex. In this situation, the City of North Bay opted to go with a single-source procurement method for the intersection work, citing EllisDon's involvement with the associated major construction project.
"The transformation of the Booth Road and Lakeshore Drive intersection into a signalized junction with dedicated active transportation facilities is not just an infrastructure upgrade but a strategic enhancement aligned with the community's growth and safety needs. Awarding this project to the [design-builder] of the North Bay Community and Recreation Centre will ensure the works are properly coordinated thereby mitigating risk to both projects," according to the report.
Ontario procurement guidelines permit single-source procurement to be used when an organization chooses to employ only one vendor, even if other vendors could potentially fulfill the contract. While single sourcing is a deviation from the principle of competitive bidding, it can be justified in certain circumstances, such as when a specific vendor possesses unique expertise, technology, or services that are not readily available from other vendors.
"This intersection work will impact the construction work of the North Bay Community and Recreation Centre and will introduce risk to that project. To mitigate these risks, the project is being awarded to the Design-Builder through a single-source procurement."
This approach ensures:
- Effective Coordination: By having one entity responsible for both projects, the construction timelines can be coordinated ensuring minimal conflict between the projects.
- Risk Management: The Design-Builder will own and control the risks associated with both projects, providing a unified management strategy for both the intersection improvements and the community centre development.
To ensure a fair price, the City of North Bay notes the "quote was internally reviewed against a detailed cost estimate based on recent tender pricing and also against previous bids for the work adjusted for the Building Construction Price Index, and was found to be fair and reasonable."
The $63M twin pad arena and community centre was approved in November 2024 and a ground-breaking ceremony was held in December 2024.
The Recreation and Community Centre is being supported by a total federal contribution of over $35 million, covering more than 50 per cent of the project costs. This includes over $25.7 million from the Green and Inclusive Community Buildings Program and over $9.4 million from the City’s strategic allocation of its annual Canada Community-Building Fund over several years.