A construction manager at risk was chosen during the recent Tiny Township committee of the whole meeting, providing a keystone toward the upcoming 2027 administration centre project.
Barrie-based company Bertram Construction was selected out of 15 proposals, which underwent interviews and evaluations by the township since December. According to public works director Tim Leitch, the position would allow the consultant and contractor responsible to deliver the project, “get it built on time, within budget, and work with us during the whole design phase.”
Hiring the construction manager at risk was a milestone for the project road map of the Tiny Township administration centre, which had been one of several ongoing elements scrutinized by opponents to the construction known for their ‘Stop the Build’ slogan.
There were many attempts to obstruct and deny the multimillion-dollar net-zero facility, including a failed globally signed petition to Queen’s Park for a referendum and the citation of ice age grass as a primary reason for halting construction despite it appearing in many locations in the area.
At the regular meeting of council, an interesting open deputation occurred.
Tiny resident Tara Marshall addressed council by repeating a word-for-word submission of a written deputation from Drew Ironstone, which had been denied at a previous council meeting due to his repeating a same-subject topic within the six-month allowance by the municipality.
Ironstone laid out an alternative build that used the current 58-year-old building along with a new campus approach. Marshall read Ironstone’s nine-point recommendations, which included deferring, pausing, suspending, and reconsidering the build and its aspects immediately.
Council members who had ample time to read Ironstone’s submission countered his points later in the meeting on many levels as he sat in the audience.
Coun. Dave Brunelle put forward a verbal motion to consider Ironstone’s recommendations, adding a line about fiscal responsibility, which others on council, including Coun. Steffen Walma and Deputy Mayor Sean Miskimins, took as a “slap to the face” before Brunelle retracted it.
While Ironstone conceded the Stop the Build campaign could be “more accurately reworded as Stop This Build” in his writing, Mayor Dave Evans took exception to the recommendations.
“All along, (opposition) has been ‘don’t build anything,’” said Evans. “The person who made a deputation tonight (was) representing a significant political viewpoint in our community, made nine points — nine — all to do with ending the building.
“Some people want to stop it altogether, and that’s where I’m reading this from here right now,” Evans continued. “I told you this on the phone. You’re putting a proposal together that’s very cursory and high-level. We’ve got Simcoe County, who you used to work for at a mid-level range. We’ve got one of the best architects (Unity Design Studio Inc.) in all of Ontario. We’ve got the ancillary staff here, access to all the best people in Ontario, to come up with a number that makes sense for this building.”
After challenging Ironstone’s credentials and experience, Evans added: “You expect us to just stop and pivot 180 degrees because you don’t like our opinion? I keep an open mind, (but) I see no reason, no evidence right now, that your argument is significant or sufficient enough for us to change our course of action.”
Walma noted Ironstone’s pitch had been an option in a 300-page April 2024 report at an estimated $21.5 million compared to the approved project for a marginally higher cost. Leitch further explained how the current building had been subject to nearly a dozen leaks, ineffective HVAC, poor electrical connections to on-site portables, an over-capacity septic system, and more.
Brunelle attempted to have council reconsider Ironstone’s proposal, stating, “I’m sure there’s something we can reconsider at this point in time, because in about three months from now, it will be too late.”
Council did not second Brunelle’s motion, where it lay dead on the floor.
The construction manager at risk recommendation, along with deputation by Ironstone, can be viewed on the agenda page on the Township of Tiny website.
Archives of council meetings are available to view on the township’s YouTube channel.