Busy Summer Makes for Busy Times

Work on the Central Nova Scotia Civic Centre Project and the campaign to support it have both progressed very well over the summer months, construction continues to be on schedule and the Ignite the Spirit Campaign has been busy raising funds for the new Centre. 

While the weather has been less than desirable for the better part of the summer, construction on the Abenaki Rd. site has thankfully not been delayed.  In late July, eight massive truck loads of structural steel arrived on site, 3.63 million pounds to be exact.  This was an exciting day for project staff and one that the team had been looking forward to for quite some time.  Steel columns arrived shortly thereafter and steel erection began on Tuesday, August 23rd.  Phase one of steel will be completed mid to late September and then masonry, curtainwall, roofing and additional steel work will begin and follow a phase behind structural steel.  Currently, the plan is to have the structure weather tight by the first or second week of January.

The focus of construction up until now has primarily been on concrete; this component is now largely complete with a couple of small items to finish up.  Moving forward, preparations for asphalt and roadway improvements in and around the site are to begin the week of August 29^th and extend through to mid to late October.  Overall, everything is moving along on schedule and the project team are pleased with the progress to date.

With the Centre set to open in just a little over a year, an ongoing and increased focus has been placed on the operations of the facility.  The Centre, when opened will remain a municipally owned asset and operate under a “management agreement” between Truro/Colchester and a not-for-profit Board of Directors comprised of community and municipal representatives.  A General Manager will be hired to lead the vision of the Centre and work together with the community to develop initiatives and programming that support the principles on which the centre is being built.  The General Manager position will be advertised this fall with hiring taking place shortly thereafter. 

Ignite the Spirit Campaign volunteers continue to be out in the community encouraging the support of the residents of Central Nova Scotia and beyond.  The new Centre will have a wonderful impact on each and every one of us, it will be an all encompassing community gathering place that will bring to together sports, recreation, entertainment and culture all under one roof.  The success of the campaign rests in the hands of the community, every little bit counts so if you are thinking about making a donation, why wait?  There are many ways to give, all of which are outlined on the campaign website www.ignitethespirit.ca or by phoning the campaign office at 902.893.9706.

Be sure to take a drive by the Civic Centre site to see the impressive progress that has taken place over the past week.  As always, if you have any questions or would like to share your thoughts or comments please feel free to contact us at anytime either by email ignitethespirit@colchester.ca or phone 902.893.9706.