LANIGAN — Lanigan marked the end of one major project and the beginning of a new one at a public meeting held to update its citizens.
It was the first time the town held a public meeting since 2014.
One celebration item was the completion of a new $6.1 million water system in spring of 2019.
Before, the town drew its water from a surface reservoir
“It was surface water, and we had a hard time treating it,” said Jennifer Thomas, Lanigan’s administrator. “As the water turned through the winter, our water would get very brown. It was still safe to drink; however, it wasn't really aesthetically pleasing.”
The town applied for a grant from the federal and provincial governments to pay for two-thirds of the project cost and received it in June 2016.
The project included $727,000 for two new wells, $1.1 million for upgrades to the lagoon, and $4.3 million for a reserve osmosis water treatment plant.
“We have very clear, aesthetically pleasing, healthy water for everybody,” Thomas said.
The town’s next project is a new swimming pool, spearheaded by a group of volunteers after the last public meeting in 2014.
“At first it started out that they were going to build a splash park, but then it evolved into a whole new swimming pool,” Thomas said. “Our swimming pool was built in ’72.”
The project would cost just under $2 million.
“We don't have the tax base just to do that so the waterpark committee is fundraising for that,” Thomas said.
If the committee manages to raise at least $850,000 by the beginning of August, the town would be able to start construction. So far, $460,000 has either been raised or committed.
“That would actually put the physical swimming pool in the ground, so that people get behind it a little bit more and know that we're serious about going ahead with the swimming pool, so that people will donate,” Thomas said.
The town also talked about a change to the dog control bylaw that requires dogs to be on a leash if it is off its owner’s property; plans to rehabilitate and patch parts of Main Street, Antrim Street, Baun Street, Howard Crescent, Calvert Crescent and Folley Crescent; and plans to demolish the Hub, which was found to have mould.
As well, the Regional Authority of Carlton Trail made a presentation on recycling, and BHP and Nutrien gave updates about their mines.
