A tame affair for first of three Tiny admin building info sessions

The first of three public information sessions for the proposed Tiny Township administrative centre took place on Tuesday night with a great deal of information shared and muted push-back from its detractors.

Structured to present the same information across all three sessions, senior project lead Janet Stewart of Unity Design Studio Inc. provided an overview of the conceptual ambitions for the future project over the first hour, while she, Tiny staff, and Mayor Dave Evans selected questions to answer as they related to the build and the selection process.

“At the outside of the project we set five goals that we felt the project should strive to meet, in order for it to set itself up for success for the next 60-plus years – that is going to be the project's anticipated lifespan,” Stewart introduced.

Those goals were to design a low-impact site development with universal accessibility, enhancing public services and spaces, as well as achieving regenerative design and a design to meet post-disaster standards.

A large number of studies and assessments were stated, ranging from usual planning mainstays such as an archaeological assessment and an impact study, to studies which exceeded requirements like the Evans-mandated tree preservation plan to replace three trees for each cut during the process.

Special attention was noted toward hydrogeological concerns, with the proposed design looking to recharge groundwater through rain harvesting and gardening. For accessibility, Unity Design opted to meet the Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification considered over-and-above other standards.

In keeping away from plastics, concrete and steel during the construction of the estimated 33,000 square foot facility, regenerative design aimed to improve upon the net-zero energy, net-zero carbon, water conservation, and biodiversity over the 60-year lifetime. Mass timber, geothermal wells, triple-glazed windows, and local production distances were included in the design.

“When we factor that this facility is going to likely be completed in 2027,” explained Stewart, “that's three short years of Canada's target to have 45 per cent reduction in emissions by 2030, and 23 short years of the 2050 zero-emissions target; so it just makes sense to build net-zero operational emissions into the project now while there is considerable funding available to pay for it.

“Because, when zero operational emissions becomes legislated into national and provincial building codes, that funding is going to disappear.”

The format of the public information centre was to take questions with no tolerance for inappropriate or anonymous statements. Many questions were asked regarding supposed costs, the location choice, and environmental impacts by members of the ‘Stop the Build’ opposition.

As protesters to the project have frequently dominated the deputation portion of public council meetings since January, often causing heated rhetoric within meetings, the format allowed council and staff to respond in a calm and collected manner without insults hurled their way.

In response, two reports were continually referred to by Deputy CAO Haley Leblond and public works director Tim Leitch: a site selection report from late August, and a public works report from early April that included updated cost estimates at that time.

Questions included: why the current 1967-built facility couldn’t be upgraded (Stewart said the cost of a future build was wiser than to bring the building to current needs); what the estimated tax bill increase would be for the average resident (Leblond provided calculations with explanations); misinformation on a proposed library (Evans replied there was none planned); and how the construction would stay within budget (Leitch said a construction manager would be hired to keep it on time and under budget).

When the question of the qualifications of Unity Design was challenged, Stewart responded: “Unity Design Studio is one of two B Corp certified architectural firms in Canada, and I urge you to look at what B Corp certified firms mean in terms of service offerings, commitment to transparency, public clients, and sustainability.”

Despite the questions attacking the need for the build, few questions came from those outside the opposition. The session answered as many as possible, with a reiteration for public input from all residents for designs to be integrated within the build.

The second public information centre is scheduled for 10 a.m. on July 23 through the Zoom platform and shown on the township’s YouTube channel, with the intent to share the same information for those who couldn’t attend the first session. A hybrid virtual and in-person meeting will be held for the third public information centre on July 31 at 6 p.m. at the municipal chambers at 130 Balm Beach Road West.

Archives of council meetings are available to view on the township’s YouTube channel.