Belleville Magazine
Welcome On behalf of City Council, Senior Management and all of the staff at the City of Belleville, it is my pleasure to welcome you to the premiere edition of BELLEVILLE Magazine.
CITY OF BELLEVILLE 169 Front Street Belleville, Ontario K8N 2Y8 Tel: (613) 968-6481 TTY: (613) 967-3768 www.Belleville.ca
MAYOR
Neil R. Ellis COUNCIL
Egerton Boyce, Taso Christopher, Pat Culhane, Jackie Denyes, Jodie Jenkins, Tom Lafferty, Jack Miller, Garnet Thompson SENIOR MANAGEMENT CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER
Rick Kester DIRECTOR, ENGINEERING & DEVELOPMENT SERVICES
Rod Bovay DIRECTOR, ENVIRONMENTAL & OPERATIONAL SERVICES
Brad Wilson DIRECTOR, FINANCE
Brian Cousins
We have created this publication to celebrate the wonderful quality of life that we enjoy here in Belleville. This publication will ensure that our community is kept up-to-date on the many projects and services that we are completing to keep our Municipality at the leading edge of progress. In this edition, we are pleased to celebrate historic milestones of our beloved City Hall building. 140 years ago, our community leaders had the vision to build this beautiful building with its majestic tower as a sign of the hope and prosperity of things to come. That vision was essential in the early success of our community and has continued throughout the years in making Belleville the wonderful place it is today. With the Holiday Season quickly approaching, I would like to invite you and your family to visit our updated Christmas Light Display in Jane Forrester Park at Meyer’s Pier. This light display is a beautiful tribute to the Foster and Culloden families and will continue to be a holiday tradition in our community.
DIRECTOR, HUMAN RESOURCES
John Martin DIRECTOR, RECREATION, CULTURE & COMMUNITY SERVICES
Mark Fluhrer ACTING DIRECTOR OF CORPORATE SERVICES/CLERK
Matt MacDonald
I want to also remind you of the Operation Red Nose Program that is now underway. Operation Red Nose runs from Thursday-Saturday nights from 9:00 p.m. – 3:00 a.m. Please be responsible this holiday season and opt for a safe ride home.
DIRECTOR OF EMERGENCY SERVICES/FIRE CHIEF
Mark MacDonald MANAGER, ECONOMIC & STRATEGIC INITIATIVES
Karen Poste
BELLEVILLE Magazine is published quarterly by the City of Belleville.
As always, I welcome your feedback and look forward to working together in making the City of Belleville a great place to live, work, play and invest. Warm Holiday Regards,
BOB HOUSE
Editor - Aaron Bell abell@city.belleville.on.ca Printed in Canada All information ©2013, City of Belleville. No use is permitted without written permission.
Neil R. Ellis Mayor
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Winter 2014
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Belleville
THE MAGAZINE ABOUT YOUR COMMUNITY • WINTER 2014
Contents 15 BUILD BELLEVILLE UPDATE
AARON BELL
“We have to address these issues before they become an even bigger problem for our community”
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Lighting up the Pier
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What’s New
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25
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City Hall Revisited
Belleville’s iconic City Hall building is being celebrated 140 years after it was built and 25 years since its renovation
What’s happening in the Friendly City
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In the Bin
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Highlighting Heritage
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A Remarkable Woman
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What’s On
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Notices
New Fire Hall
The City is building a new Fire Headquarters on Station St.
Business Attraction The City is expanding the Northeast Industrial Park to maintain its standing as a welcoming place for industrial development
Working for You
Meet Perry DeCola, who manages the City’s water treatment facility and makes sure that your drinking water is safe
Winter 2014
Belleville Magazine
ROGER PENSOM
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The City’s updated Christmas Lighting Display is lighting up Jane Forrester Park this holiday season
Belleville’s Green Bin organics recycling program has been a big hit. Find out how you can do your part to make our community a more sustainable place to live
A look at a historic home on Bridge Street
Belleville Councillor Pat Culhane was recently recognized as Belleville’s Remarkable Woman of the Year
Fall Colours
Downtown Belleville was a colourful feast for the eyes before the leaves dropped this fall PHOTO BY AARON BELL/CITY OF BELLEVILLE
Belleville Magazine
What’s New
Christmas Lights Sparkle Again at Meyers Pier The Christmas at the Pier Light Display at Jane Forrester Park has been updated for the 2013 Holiday Season
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Christmas Lights The Christmas at the Pier Light Display is in honour of Billy Foster and Art “Sonny” Culloden FIND MORE PHOTOS ONLINE AT WWW.BELLEVILLE.CA PHOTOS: AARON BELL
Park/Meyers Pier display, the City also lit up giant Christmas trees in Market Square behind City Hall, at the Chamber Log Cabin and at the Quinte Sports & Wellness Centre. “This is a great time of year for us to show our community spirit,” Thompson said. The Christmas at the Pier light display is supported by the City of Belleville along with several sponsors that make the display possible. The Christmas Lighting Display Committee, which also includes Councillor Ege Boyce, Councillor Taso Christopher, Heather Henderson and Robert Hoekstra extend their gratitude to the following sponsors for their support of the display.
Belleville Magazine
Christmas at the Pier Sponsors Santa Level Sponsors McDougall Insurance Veridian Connections Elf Level Sponsors Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) Reindeer Level Sponsors Mackay Insurance W.T. Hawkins Ltd. BCS Automation Triangle Fluid Controls The Culloden Family Candy Cane Level Sponsors Impacto Protective Products Cunningham Swan LLP Whitley Insurance and Financial Services The Sernas Group Avaya Community Volunteers Meyers Transportation Services Ascent Scotiabank Stocking Stuffer Level Sponsors Lexassist Management Inc. Templeman, Menninga LLP Union Gas Hanley Corporation Canadian Tire Belleville (The McCullough Family) International Truckload Services Inc. Ornament Level Sponsors Burr Insurance Guthrie Engineering Bayshore Credit Union R. Marikkar and J. Rahumathulla Watson Land Surveyors Ems-Tech Inc. Quinte Ballet School of Canada
PHOTOS: AARON BELL
The City of Belleville has plugged in The Christmas at the Pier lighting display once again at Jane Forrester Park. The Christmas at the Pier lighting display debuted last November and is the new home of the Foster Family Display that had been seen at the Alemite Park for several years. The display was created to honour Billy Foster and his friend Art “Sonny” Culloden, who were killed in a car accident on Christmas Eve in 1958. The display was lit up again for the first time this year on Friday Nov. 15 and will run through the end of the holiday season. “We are so proud to be able to bring this Christmas light display to the community of Belleville every Christmas season,” said Councillor Garnet Thompson, who is the Chair of the Christmas Lighting Display Committee. “So many people came out to enjoy the display last year and we had so much positive feedback about it. We’re looking forward to welcoming even more people this year for our expanded display.” In addition to the Jane Forrester
Belleville Magazine
What’s New
Build Belleville Gets National Attention Mayor Neil Ellis was invited to speak about the BuildBelleville Strategy to a delegate of municipal leaders at the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) conference in Ottawa in August. The infrastructure strategy has also been featured in four magazines in the past year including ReNew and Municipal World. FIND OUT MORE ABOUT BUILD BELLEVILLE ONLINE AT WWW.BUILDBELLEVILLE.CA
City’s New Web Site is a Hit
The City of Belleville’s new web site launched in September and provides many new upgrades including an easier to use navigation and search features. www.Belleville.ca
Belleville is welcoming more online visitors than ever before and the city’s new web site is making it easier for people to find what they are looking for. The site was relaunched in September with a new look, user interface, interactive capabilities and a fully responsive design that can be used on home computers as well as portable devices like smart phones and tablets. The new site drew nearly 60,000 visits from 30,000 visitors in the first two months after it was relaunched. “We’re really pleased with the traffic to our new site,” said Aaron Bell, Communications Coordinator for the City of Belleville. “This is one of our best ways of communicating with the community and we want to make it as easy as possible for everyone to find the information that they are looking for.”
The redesigned site provides the municipality with a home for videos and photos about the region and the “What I Love About Belleville” video that was created for the launch had more than 1,500 views in the first two months. “We plan to use video more than ever before to share our stories with the community,” Bell said. The City worked with Belleville design firm They Integrated on the branding and content management system. “We designed this new navigation structure from the ground up to make finding information as easy as possible,” Bell said. “This new site also addresses accessibility concerns and provides our municipality with a modern content management tool that makes adding and updating content very easy.”
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Belleville Magazine
What’s New
New Accessible Public Workstation at Belleville Library
Deputy Fire Chief Appointed In October, the City announced the appointment of Ray Ellis as Deputy Fire Chief. Ellis has been with the Belleville Fire Department for 27 years and is being promoted from his current position as Captain.
Belleville Transit Takes Hybrid Bus for a Test Drive
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for funding for the workstation through a provincial grant was declined so the workstation was funded by a donation from the Medigas Celebrity Classic tournament. “We are very grateful to Medigas Celebrity Classic for their generosity in donating the funds to make this project possible,” said Belleville Library CEO Trevor Pross. “We now look forward to offering this technology to any of our customers with visual or physical challenges.” The new workstation is available for use now on the main level of the Belleville Library.
Belleville Magazine
tacted Nova Bus to see if they could test the hybrid while waiting for the new standard bus. They received the bus for a $1 lease until December. “This is an almost free way for us to do some tests with this type of bus on our routes and with our drivers,” said Dave Clusiau, Belleville’s Fleet Maintenance Supervisor.
PHOTOS: AARON BELL
The Belleville Public Library has a new fully accessible public computer workstation thanks to the Medigas Celebrity Classic golf tournament. This computer offers the latest in assistive technology and features a fully adjustable table with electric motor, an oversize keyboard, a large trackball mouse and the ZoomText Screen Reader / Magnifier software. The computer allows people with physical or visual challenges to browse the Internet and to create documents or spreadsheets using Microsoft Office 2013. The Library’s request
City residents may notice a new bus on the streets of Belleville lately. Belleville Transit is testing a Nova Bus hybrid electric/diesel bus that has been used by other municipalities across the country. The City fleet was short one bus while waiting on delivery of a new vehicle in December and con-
Belleville Magazine
What’s New
Lower Bridge Rehabilitation The City has approved repairs for the Bridge St. bridge that will keep traffic flowing through the winter months. Structural deterioration on the 83-year-old bridge forced the City to reduce it to two lanes last spring. Rehabilitation on the bridge is projected to cost $2.7M. The City is submitting an application to the Province for a grant that would help cover some of the costs.
City Management Prepares for Emergency Situations CAO Rick Kester, Fire Chief Mark MacDonald and Police Chief Cory McMullan were among the senior city management that participated in an Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) scenario in November.
Senior City of Belleville staff participated in a mock disaster and emergency preparedness strategy session at the City’s Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) in the Veridian building in November. The Mayor, CAO and heads of each department are all part of the EOC in the event of an emergency situation in the City. “It’s important that we review these procedures and test our reactions in these test sessions to make sure that we are ready for an actual emergency situation,” said CAO Rick Kester. “These sessions
help us identify our strengths and weaknesses before we are faced with any real scenarios.” The City participates in a testing session once a year. This year’s mock disaster was focused around an ice storm that cut power to parts of the city and caused damage at a local retirement home that needed to be evacuated. “It was a good opportunity for our staff, along with staff from external agencies, to work collaboratively to find solutions quickly,” Kester said.
Operation Red Nose Aims for Safe Streets Again This Holiday Season Belleville Mayor Neil Ellis and Quinte West Mayor John Williams are co-chairs of Operation Red Nose this year. Red Nose runs Thurs-Sat. nights throughout December from 9:00 p.m. - 3:00 a.m. Rides must start or end in Belleville or Trenton. A team of three Red Nose volunteers will pick you up and drive you in your own vehicle to the destination of your choice, for free. To access Operation Red Nose, please call (613) 962-4334.
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Belleville Magazine
City Hall
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Belleville Magazine
City Hall
Centre of Our City Belleville’s City Hall is celebrating her 140th anniversary and the 25th anniversary of the major renovation that expanded the working space available to the City.
By Aaron Bell
Nearly one and a half centuries after it was constructed, Belleville’s City Hall remains one of the defining features of our community. City Hall was originally constructed as a market building for local farmers to sell their produce, meat and dairy products. That was the original function of the main floor while the second floor was used as a meeting space and theatre. The tower was built to provide the community with a clock that could be seen anywhere in the town as well as a bell that could be rung in the event of a fire or other emergency. Along the way, the market was moved back outside and the entire
New Beginnings Belleville’s City Hall building was originally constructed in the 1870’s as a market building and meeting space
building became the municipality’s operations centre. But by the mid1980’s the City had grown to the point where the City Hall building
“We were proud of our City Hall but it has to be practical. We just didn’t have enough room and people were complaining. We had to do something.” just wasn’t big enough anymore. “We were jammed to the rafters and people were sitting on top of each other,” said Ross McDougall,
who was a councillor at the time and went on to become Belleville’s Mayor in 1994. “We were proud of our City Hall but it had to be practical. We just didn’t have enough room and people were complaining, so we had to do something.” City Council and then-Mayor George Zegouras looked at several different options for City Hall including moving out of the City’s tallest building. They eventually purchased the old Cablevue building that was across the street from City Hall with the intention of renovating that building to accommodate the growing municipal operations. They hired Bel-Con Engineering Architect and Engineer Bill
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Winter 2014
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Belleville Magazine
City Hall
New Lease on Life The renovation to City Hall in the 1980’s increased the working space dramatically while maintaining the original character and charm of the historic building. Photo: Roger Pensom
“When you look at it now, it looks pretty obvious anybody would have done it. But it didn’t look obvious at the time. It looked impossible at the time.”
White to look at how to best use the space. White had another suggestion – scrap the second building theory and add two new floors to the current building. The building committee had considered renovating City Hall but no one saw the potential of two more floors until White nosed around in the attic space. “I came in and I got way up the tower and into the roof space and
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had a look around and the more I saw the more I was blown away by the potential of the building to do something quite spectacular,” White said. “I just started to think well, there must be some way to be able to use this trussed roof space as a people place and I was just thinking madly how to do that.” White devised a plan to change some of the trusses in the attic space to make it usable. He built a
Belleville Magazine
detailed model to describe his plan to council and after some debate, they agreed to go ahead with White’s plan at a cost of $1.5M. “He took us on a mini tour and it was awful up there,” McDougall said. “There were rafters and it was dirty. I certainly couldn’t see it and I don’t think many on the committee could see it, but bit by bit he sold us.” City staff moved to the old King
Belleville Magazine
City Hall
George School for a year while the renovation was happening. White oversaw the transformation of the inside of City Hall and a complete restoration of the brick work and mouldings on the outside of the building. “Everybody that was working on it was passionate about it,” White said. “And so we were all working together as a team. As an architect and an engineer it was just so wonderful to be able to have a vision like this and to be involved in the day to day actions and be able to just make little changes on the spot without a lot of red tape.” White went on to renovate City Hall into its current configuration by adding two new floors, including a new Council Chambers and Mayor/
CAO’s office on the fourth floor. “When you look at it now, it looks pretty obvious,” McDougall said. “Anybody would have done it. But it didn’t look obvious at the time. It looked impossible at the time.” White said that his renovation of City Hall was the project of a lifetime. “Belleville just had this fantastic opportunity so I just went nuts over the whole thing - It just felt like a once in a lifetime opportunity,” White said. “I feel extremely privileged to have somehow ended up in a position to be able to do this thing and help the community realize its whole potential in this regard. It was just a tremendous honour.”
How Did They Do It? The City of Belleville is producing a short documentary that looks at the incredible transformation of our City Hall building 25 years ago. Hear from Architect/Engineer Bill White, then-Council Member Ross McDougall, current Mayor Neil Ellis and Historian Gerry Boyce on how the
incredible project has impacted our City. Watch for the video online in December at www.Belleville.ca.
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Winter 2014
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Fall Colours
Belleville’s Waterfront Trail is a welcome home to walkers, bikers and runners - especially during the colourful fall season. PHOTO BY AARON BELL/CITY OF BELLEVILLE
Belleville Magazine
BuildBelleville
Project Central The new Project Centre for the BuildBelleville infrastructure rehabilitation strategy is opening soon on Pinnacle Street
Story and photos by Aaron Bell
The BuildBelleville project will soon have a new home on Pinnacle Street. The City of Belleville is nearly ready to open the BuildBelleville Project Centre in the old Parks and Recreation building at 116 Pinnacle Street. The Project Centre will be the working office for the BuildBelleville Project Managers and will provide the City with a workspace to plan and execute the many infrastructure updates that were approved in the $92M strategy. “This BuildBelleville Project Centre gives us a home base to carry out all of these projects from,” said Manager of Engineering/ Deputy Director Ray Ford, who is spearheading the BuildBelleville strategy. “We need to have the space for the people working on these projects and have a place to
take our consultants and the public through the development plans.” The BuildBelleville Project Centre will have space dedicated to the Downtown Revitalization project, including large graphics and drawings that show the current state of Downtown as well as the vision for the Revitalization project. “We are looking forward to welcoming the community and many Downtown stakeholders to see the vision of what we want BuildBelleville to mean to our Downtown,” said Mark Fluhrer, Director of Recreation, Culture and Community Services. “The BuildBelleville elements of the Revitalization project will be the building blocks which we use to fulfill the enormous potential of our Downtown City Centre core.” The BuildBelleville Infrastructure Strategy also includes con-
“There are many different elements that go in to making each of these projects work.” struction of the Northeast Feeder Main, the Police Services facility, road and bridge work through the City, infrastructure upgrades in the Northeast Industrial Park and Wastewater Treatment Plant. Many projects have already started and are scheduled to be completed over the next few years. “There are many different elements that go into making each of these projects work and the BuildBelleville Projects Centre will help us coordinate those efforts across the board,” Ford said.
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Belleville Magazine
Our City
New Fire Headquarters on the Way for Belleville Belleville’s long awaited new Fire Station and Emergency Services Headquarters is moving forward By Aaron Bell
Belleville’s new Fire Chief Mark MacDonald is looking forward to moving into his new Fire Station and Emergency Services Headquarters next summer. Unfortunately, there’s a lot of work ahead before he will get that opportunity. MacDonald, who was officially promoted to Fire Chief and Director of Emergency Services in May, has been the main point of contact for the City in the development process of the new facility and will be responsible for making sure the building meets the needs of the community. “It’s a lot of work to pull something together like this, but it will be worth the effort,” MacDonald said. “The last fire station in Belleville was built 65 years ago and we’re looking forward to bringing our facility into the modern era.” 16
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The new fire hall is a two-story, 22,000 square foot facility on Station Street that would be the headquarters for the Fire Department as well as the Emergency Operations Centre (EOC). “This location will allow us to get our response times to acceptable levels in all parts of the City and that’s a critical component to the safety of our citizens,” MacDonald said. Council agreed to proceed with a new fire hall and approved a $7.4M maximum project budget in October. The project has started and the pre-engineered building is currently being manufactured and should be on-site in February. Construction is expected to be complete late next summer. “It’s been long enough,” Councillor Pat Culhane said after the
Belleville Magazine
“This location will allow us to get our response times to acceptable levels in all parts of the City and that’s a critical component to the safety of our citizens.” Council meeting. “There has been enough said. It could come back under that $7.4M figure. Let’s get on with it.” “We met with the architect and contractors and identified some areas where we can find some savings and some value,” MacDonald said. “I believe we can meet our objective of not changing the size and the scope of the project where it becomes obsolete too quickly.”
Belleville Magazine
Our City
The actual construction costs are $5.7M with the balance of the budget to cover land costs as well as architectural and engineering fees. The City is getting $2M in funding from the province for the project. “Obviously this has been a thorough, ongoing matter for three
years and this is the green light – this is the go,” MacDonald said. “We’re going to move and now time is of the essence. We need to get activity on that site as soon as possible.” The Chief has kept close tabs on construction of similar facilities in other Ontario communities and said that the construction costs for a new fire hall in Orillia was $6.9M and one in Clarington was $5.5M – when compared to construction costs of $5.7M on this project, Belleville’s new fire hall is in line. “Now that we know the actual figure that we’re working with we can work towards looking at the building and making sure we can get as much building as we can for that value.”
Fire Station and Emergency Services Headquarters The architect’s rendering of Belleville’s new Fire Station and Emergency Services Headquarters on Station Street. (Left: Belleville Fire Chief Mark MacDonald)
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Belleville Magazine
Business
Belleville is Expanding to Welcome New Business The Northeast Industrial Park expansion will mean new business - and new jobs - for Belleville Story and photos by Aaron Bell
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Belleville Magazine
Belleville Magazine
Business
The City of Belleville has built a reputation as a welcoming place for industry and they are ensuring that trend continues with the expanded development of the Northeast Industrial Park. The City is servicing approximately 200 acres and extending College Street by 600 meters to provide land for industrial business looking to expand to our area. “Having readily available serviced land is one of the first things that a company looks for when they want to build a new facility,” said Karen Poste, Belleville’s Manager of Economic and Strategic Initiatives and the person responsible for welcoming business to the city. “Developing this piece of land helps us put our best foot forward when we are competing with other
municipalities for business investment.” The College Street East expansion extends the development of the Northeast Industrial Park that has attracted local employers like Procter & Gamble, Kellogg’s, Sprague Foods, Sigma Stretch Film, Triangle Fluid Controls and many others. The Northeast Industrial Park was developed by the City more than 25 years ago and the businesses in that area employ nearly 10,000 people and contribute $7 million in taxes to the community. “We’re fortunate that our municipal leaders of the day had the foresight to create this industrial park in the first place,” Poste said. “It has become the home of some of our top employers and is an im-
“Having readily available serviced land is one of the first things that a company looks for when they want o build a new plant.”
Building for the Future
Belleville Mayor Neil Ellis and Karen Poste, Manager, Economic and Strategic Initiatives on the Northeast Industrial Park Expansion site www.Belleville.ca
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Business
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zoned land that is ready to be developed is critical. “If Belleville doesn’t offer this kind of land at an affordable price, other communities will and the jobs and investment will pass us by,” Ellis said. “We have to use every competitive advantage that we have to attract these business investors and encourage them to locate here in Belleville.” This project is the first phase in a long-term development plan that will secure the economic health of our community for the future.
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portant part of our local economy.” The College Street expansion is part of the City’s Strategic Plan to upgrade needed infrastructure around the municipality. “We targeted as many revenue generating projects as we could in the Build Belleville strategy,” said Mayor Neil Ellis. “When we attract industry to our community they provide jobs, stimulate the local economy and contribute significantly to our tax base.” Having fully serviced,
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Our City Centre While the historic function of Downtown as the primary retail centre of our community has changed, Downtown continues to be our City Centre - the main hub in our community for services as well as local, independent retailers and restaurants. The health and vibrancy of our Downtown is a key to our overall success as a community. The BuildBelleville Downtown Revitalization Project will provide our City Centre and our community with infrastructure upgrades that will encourage economic and residential development and growth while maintaining the historical charm of our Downtown region.
Downtown Belleville... A healthy Downtown sets the stage for vibrant cultural activities, provides an environment for successful local independent business, attracts tourists and helps define the identity of a community.
Downtown Belleville is a viable and sustainable place for growth of cultural strength, environmental responsibilities, social vitality and economic health. People want to spend time in Downtown and the BuildBelleville project will help us ensure that happens.
Project Update The BuildBelleville Downtown Revitalization Project includes rebuilding the underground infrastructure, including water, wastewater and power needs as well as storefront-to-storefront streetscaping including new roads, sidewalks, lights, street furniture and landscaping.
What’s been happening since the budget approval?
• Request For Proposal (RFP) Consultation Plan developed.
• Working groups have been created to develop detailed Action Plans for Communication, Consultation, Business Continuity and Marketing.
What are we doing now?
• Request For Proposal Architectural and Detailed Design.
• Develop Actions Plans - Communications, Consultation, Business Continuity Plan and Marketing Plan. • Develop a Best Use Plan for Key Downtown Properties (such as the Memorial Arena, Brick, Quinte Hotel and Intelligencer buildings). • Transportation Master Plan Policies including Road Network and Cycling.
Downtown Revitalization 2006
Downtown Belleville Master Plan Developed and Accepted
2012
Timeline
Downtown Belleville Master Plan Financing Approved by Council through BuildBelleville strategy
2013
Working Groups develop working plans: Communications, Consultation, Business Continuity and Marketing RFP Architectural and Detailed Design released – October /November 2013 Review RFP Submissions (consultation plan followed)
BuildBelleville Downtown Underground Infrastructure and Streetscape Revitalization
2014
Approve Architectural & Detailed Design Team January 2014
How do you get involved?
Release of ‘Tender for 2014 works’ (specific year one scope) June 2014
2014-2017
www.BuildBelleville.ca/Downtown info@buildbelleville.ca
Final Design of Phase 1 completed & approved April 2014 Tender Documents prepared and completed May 2014
The BuildBelleville Downtown Revitalization Project is all about providing an optimal environment to live in and do business in our City Centre core. This is your project! Be part of what makes Belleville great - take an active interest. We need your input to ensure that this project meets the needs of our community. Please provide us with your thoughts on this project:
Preliminary Design completed and approved March 2014
Phase One Work starting Summer 2014
The BuildBelleville Project Includes: Underground Infrastructure • water • waste water • other services as needed (ie. hydro, natural gas)
Streetscaping • roads • sidewalks • lights • landscaping • street furniture
Belleville Magazine
Working for You
Perry DeCola
WATER TREATMENT PLANT SUPERINTENDENT
Perry DeCola takes his public service job very seriously. The affable Superintendent of Belleville’s Water Treatment Plant realizes the health of thousands of people is at stake. “Everything we do is to ensure that we provide the best quality water at the most economical price,” DeCola said. He notes the average family uses 750 litres of water per day for everything - making food, laundry, taking showers and flushing toilets. With the sewer surcharge, the bill is about $2.86 per day, equivalent to a large coffee and a donut. Originally from southwestern Ontario, Perry’s been passionate about water since the age of 17. He moved to Belleville for the environment program at Loyalist College, which landed him a job with the city in 1994 as a water treatment plant operator. He worked his way up to foreman, then superintendent. When the original plant was built in 1886, the distribution system was made up of 19 kms of pipe which has grown to cover 210 kms. DeCola ensures the system is continuously monitored to make sure there’s chlorine in the water, and bacteriological tests are done. The original plant was modified over time until the $40M reconstruction in 1994, which brought capacity to treat up to 72.6M litres of water a day. DeCola says they only operate at one-third capacity, leaving room for growth and another 60 years operational capacity. Behind the mechanics and science of providing safe water 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, are a supervisor, lab technician and six shift operators that DeCola is responsible for. He stresses they’re all diligent, knowing if they make a mistake, they could affect more than the 100-thousand transient population in the city per day, as food production plants located in Belleville ship product all over the world. Story and Photo by Gerry Fraiberg www.Belleville.ca
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Belleville Magazine
Going Green
Green Bins Help Make Belleville a Greener Place Belleville’s Green Bin Organics Recycling Program was launched this past summer and is already working to divert waste from our landfills.
Story and Photos by Linda Horn
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Belleville Magazine
The Green Bin Organics Recycling Program has been going so well since it first rolled out in August that organizers hope in the future to expand the program to town homes and condos. “The program has gone really well,” said Melanie Zeitz-Morrish, Green Program Coordinator for the City of Belleville.“People call me to tell me how excited they are about the program’” Zeitz-Morrish, added that there are 13,240 bins out in the community and there is a var-
ied rate of participation in each neighbourhood. “We have neighbourhoods that are at 87 per cent and others at 58 per cent participation,” said Zeitz-Morrish. “Our main goal is to increase our communication about the green bin program and how easy it is use. We like to see 100 per-cent of the 13,240 green bins out on the curb weekly.” Belleville resident Marc Bourdon has enjoyed the benefits of using the green bin program since it first started. “I really enjoy it,”
Belleville Magazine
Going Green Using your Green Bin is easy... 1. 2. 3.
Put your compostable waste into your Kitchen Catcher during food preparation and following meals (find a full list of what you can and can’t put in the Green Bin and what liners are acceptable online at GreenBinBelleville.ca. Empty your Kitchen Catcher into your Green Bin on a daily basis to minimize odours. Wheel your Green Bin to the curb by 7:00 a.m. on your regular garbage collection day.
It’s that easy!
“It is so easy. It does take some getting used to doing but it does make a difference for the environment.” said Bourdon. “It is so easy. It does take some getting used to doing but it does make a difference for the environment. “Between using recycling and the green bin, I have only had one full garbage bag since the green bin program started.” Bourdon also said he was “impressed” with the sturdiness of the green bin containers. He likes to keep his small kitchen bin in the fridge in case of smell or fruit flies. He easily washes his curbside green bin out with a hose each week. “The bins are built like a tank,” said Bourdon. “I haven’t had any issues with critters trying to get into it.” Zeitz-Morrish said that the participation rate is go-
ing as expected and knows it is a change of habit for people. “It’s important that we all do what we can to help make our community more sustainable and this is an easy way that everyone can help,” said Councillor Tom Lafferty, who chairs the City’s Green Task Force. “It really does make a difference.” To make the program easier Green Bin Belleville offers a comprehensive video demonstrating how easy it is to participate in the program. You can view the video and find more information on how to use your Green Bin and Kitchen Catcher online at www.greenbinbelleville.ca
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Belleville Magazine
Heritage Property
Old Railway Ties to Rare Bridge Street Home 110 Bridge Street West is a Designated Historic Property by the Belleville Heritage Committee Story and photos by Linda Horn
Built in 1867 by Smith Steven, clerk in the Grand Trunk Railway solicitor’s office, 110 Bridge Street West is an excellent example of a family home owner of modest means. It has original 6/6 pane windows, window sills, and shutters. Acorn brackets extend under the cornice. The front door, balanced by narrow sidelights, has a false centre bead forming a midline, a feature which is a rarity in Belleville. The property has been a much loved family home for Tom and Janet Murray since they moved into the home in 1975. “We loved the moulding, high ceilings, spacious rooms, and the fireplace,” said Tom Murray. Tom and Janet - both teachers - raised two children in the home after moving to Belleville from the Greater Toronto Area.
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Belleville Magazine
Belleville Magazine
Our City
Culhane Recognized as a Remarkable Woman City of Belleville Councillor Pat Culhane was named the City’s Remarkable Woman of the Year for 2013 by The Intelligencer. Story and photo by Aaron Bell
“There are so many phenomenal women in this community, it’s such a marvelous compliment to be nominated.”
If you asked Pat Culhane if she considered herself “remarkable” you’d likely get a firm answer to the contrary, but fortunately Culhane, a City Councillor and local health care provider, wasn’t on the selection committee that named her the City of Belleville’s Remarkable Woman of 2013. Culhane was nominated by her sister Anne Bunnett, who called Pat a woman whose “caring and compassionate nature has always driven an almost insatiable need to care for and help others and to improve their lives and that of the community around them.” Culhane was a victim of marital abuse earlier in her life and used that experience to help get others out of similar situations. Her inspirational speech kicked off the Three Oaks Foundation Capital Campaign for Second Stage Hous-
ing in 2010. Culhane is in her 45th year at Belleville General Hospital and helps mentor other health care providers as a nursing supervisor. “There are so many phenomenal women in this community, it’s such a marvelous compliment to be nominated,” Culhane told The Intelligencer. “I am thrilled to sit in the chair as a nominee, and I don’t mean to sound facetious, I never expected anything like this. “It gives you a real boost of confidence.” Culhane is also a cancer survivor and volunteers for and supports the Canadian Cancer Society. “As her sister, I have marveled throughout our lives at her accomplishments and achievements,” Bunnett said. Culhane has been a City Councillor since 2004. www.Belleville.ca
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Belleville Magazine
What’s On December 13
March
NHL Alumni Charity Hockey Game
The Local Law Enforcement AllStars face-off against NHL Alumni at the Quinte Sports & Wellness Centre. Please visit www.Benefithockey.com for more information.
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Christmas Concert at the Belleville Library
The Christmas Concert “What Child is This?” at 2:30 p.m. at the Belleville Library. Please visit www.BellevilleLibrary.ca for more details.
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RV Show
The Annual RV & Sportsman Show returns to the Quinte Sports & Wellness Centre.
December 9 January 13, 27 February 10 March 24
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Quinte Club Dog Show
Find more meeting information, agendas and minutes online at www.Belleville.ca.
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Quinte Home Builders Show
January
1
2014 Civic Levee
Mayor Neil Ellis and Belleville City Council invite everyone to the Annual Civic Levee on January 1 from 11:30 a.m - 1:30 p.m. at the Quinte Sports & Wellness Centre.
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Legends of Hockey
See the Toronto Maple Leafs Alumni face-off against the Boston Bruins Alumni in the Legends of Hockey Charity Classic at Yardmen Arena. Tickets start at $10 and are available at the Bulls Box Office. More information is available online at www.legendsofhockey.ca.
February 28
Downtown Docfest
The third annual Downtown Docfest runs from February 29 through March 2 at the Core Centre for the Performing Arts. Find more information online at www.downtowndocfest.ca.
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Upcoming City Meetings
Belleville Magazine
The Quinte Club Dog Show at the Quinte Sports & Wellness Centre.
The Annual Quinte Home Builders Show returns to the Quinte Sports & Wellness Centre.
City Council
Planning Advisory Committee
January 6 February 3 March 3
Belleville Magazine
Notices
Burn Permits
Just a reminder to Thurlow Ward residents, burn permits expire on December 31, 2013. All permit conditions must be met when purchasing a 2014 permit. Permits can be purchased at City Hall and the Wellness Centre.
Property Tax Receipts
Winter Parking Restrictions To ensure snow clearing operations can be completed in an efficient and effective manner, parking is prohibited on all city streets between 1:00 a.m. – 6:00 a.m. from November 2nd to April 14th in the City of Belleville. To avoid receiving a parking ticket and/or having your vehicle towed, please do not park on City streets during this time. During a snowstorm, when posted snow clearing operations are underway, no stopping of a vehicle is permitted on any city street. Snow-clearing operations typically take place between 11 pm and 7 am. The fine for this offence is $75 and your vehicle will be towed.
Just a reminder if you require a receipt for income tax purposes you are required to keep your 2013 Final Tax Bill. Duplicate receipts are available at a cost of $15.00. Contact the Tax Department at 613-967-3243 if you have any questions.
Pre-Authorized Payment Plans
Pre-Authorized payment plans are available for tax payments on a monthly or installment basis. Forms are available online at www.Belleville.ca.
Vacant Unit Rebates
Rebate for Vacant Units in Commercial and Industrial Property: Applications may be made for vacant portions in the Commercial and Industrial property classes only. The deadline to submit applications for 2013 is February 28, 2014. Forms are available online at www.Belleville.ca.
Registered Charity Rebates
Rebate for Registered Charities: Applications may be made for registered charities that are tenants in Commercial or Industrial classes only. The deadline to submit applications for 2013 is February 28, 2014. Forms are available online at www.Belleville.ca.
Belleville Looking for Aquatic Staff The City is accepting resumes for Temporary Part-time Aquatic Staff. It is an excellent opportunity to develop leadership skills, have fun and meet new friends.
Dog Tag Renewal City of Belleville dog tags expire on December 31, 2013. Owners have until March 31, 2014 to purchase 2014 tags before a late payment fee is applied to the purchase price. Tags are available at City Hall, Water Department and the Quinte Sports & Wellness Centre.
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Under the direction of the Aquatics Coordinator, Aquatic Staff will provide lifeguarding and swimming instruction to participants at the Quinte Sports and Wellness Centre. Requires an individual who has successfully completed a current certification as a lifeguard or swimming instructor as well as current certifications in Standard First Aid and CPR. For more information look under the Careers Section at www.Belleville.ca.
Corby Rose Garden The Corby Rose Garden in Belleville’s historic East Hill neighbourhood features a brand new water fountain that was installed in September. PHOTO BY AARON BELL/CITY OF BELLEVILLE