The $5.9 million dollar "Active Transportation Expansion project" funding is continuing to pay dividends for the city of Swift Current.

Announced on May 12 under the much-used Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP), the federal, provincial, municipal partnership was most recently at play paying for the Path and Sidewalk Rehabilitation currently underway in various parts of the city.

Now another project has been added to that, as new lights, foundations, wiring and the labour to make it all work got the go-ahead from city council last night.

As Mitch Minken, the General Manager of Infrastructure and Operations, explained, the program was split into two parts; one for the materials necessary, and a second for the labour to complete the work.

The city put out tenders for both and received 11 bids for the materials; which included LED Bollard Lights and foundations: LED Park Lights, poles, foundations and underground cables; and LED streetlights, poles, foundations and underground cables.

Three vendors were awarded the contract:

  • Foundations Anchors - Anixter Power Solutions, Winnipeg Manitoba | $82,955.60
  • LED Bollard, Park and Street Lights - Gescan, Regina Saskatchewan | $227,014.90
  • Park and Street Light Poles - Metalogalva North America Inc, Calgary Alberta | $108,491.00

Riverside Electric in Swift Current, meanwhile, was awarded the contract to install the new hardware as it comes in.

Minken pointed out that Riverside had dealt with similar work with the city in the past on similar projects and has a positive relationship with the various project managers who have done business with them.  The local company's bid of $105,459.40 came in within the proposed budget of the project as well.

While the design, tendering and construction management of the project will be handled in-house by the city's engineering department, Riverside will be installing lighting along portions of the pathway with inadequate lighting, using "bollard" style lighting when near homes and using "parkway" lighting in more open areas.

Lighting will also be installed along Marston to accommodate both the path and the roadway.