A new electrical generator will be installed at the Robert Hartley Sports Complex in Hawkesbury, but it means upgrades to the playground Place des Pionniers will have to wait.
On Monday, May 13, Hawkesbury council approved granting a contract for the new generator at the complex to ACE Electric for the amount of $274,995. However, the amount allocated in the budget for the new generator was $200,000. Part of the additional cost of $74,995 will be covered by a federal Community Emergency Preparedness Grant the town received, and an additional $24,995 will be used from the budget for the upgrading of Place des Pionniers. The total budget for that project is $120,000. Landscaping, an access ramp, and replacing playground structures are part of plans, but due to the use of funds for the generator project, the play structure replacement will be re-evaluated.
The Town of Hawkesbury considers having a generator at the Robert Hartley Sports Complex to be necessary as the facility is used to accommodate residents of both Hawkesbury and neighbouring communities in the event of an emergency or prolonged electrical outage. More than 3,000 people may be accommodated at the complex, which offers access to showers, warming or cooling depending on the weather, and an opportunity to charge devices.
Generator power at the complex also allows the refrigeration system to continue to function to maintain the ice rink, and for the heating system to remain in operation for the pool.
