Newfoundland & Labrador Projects

[Rico Rommheim]

Western-Central Newfoundland & Labrador Developments

Bahahahaha!

I'm sorry, but it is truly an hilarious title!

[Architype]

Originally Posted by Rico Rommheim

Western-Central Newfoundland & Labrador Developments

Bahahahaha!

I'm sorry, but it is truly an hilarious title!

It used to be just Western Nfld, what do you suggest??
Maybe I'll ask for it to be shortened.

edit: Actually it's just fine, and serves it's purpose very well.

[MonctonRad]

I think it means everything in the province that is outside the Avalon Penninsula.

[Architype]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

I think it means everything in the province that is outside the Avalon Penninsula.

It could include Grand Falls or Gander, but there aren't many high rises likely to be built there.

How about this for a title -
Western-Central-East Central-Newfoundland & Labrador-Saint-Pierre et Miquelon-Cote-Nord du Quebec-Îles-de-la-Madeleine Developments ?

No ? I didn't think so !


Perhaps "Corner Brook & N.L. Regional Developments".

[kingcobra]

Originally Posted by kingcobra

I can check in with my brother in law who is involved with Corner Brook business community about its future.

I got an update about the future of Majestic Theatre from my brother in law who visited me with my sister and their twokids. He said the Majestic Theatre is going to become an office building and everything inside the building was cleared and cleaned. Soon they will start developing in the building.

[Architype]

^ That would be a good use for the theatre building, and might involve some minor exterior changes and more glass I'm guessing.

my photo 2007

[kingcobra]

http://thewesternstar.com/index.cfm?sid=261537&sc=23

Green funding announced for new city hall print this article

CORNER BROOK
GARY KEAN
The Western Star

Environment and Conservation Minister Charlene Johnson announces green funding for Corner Brook’s new city hall Tuesday morning. — Star photo by Gary Kean

The environmentally-friendly plans for Corner Brook’s new city hall got a boost in the form of $895,100 from the Newfoundland and Labrador Green Fund Tuesday.

Environment and Conservation Minister Charlene Johnson was in Corner Brook to announce the funding which will help the new municipal structure be certified silver under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building rating system for its various energy-efficient components.

The building, the construction of which will commence within days on the site of the former Corner Brook Co-op building at the corner of Park Street and Main Street, will incorporate features such as a green roof and a Window on the World (WOW) building performance system.

A green roof concept involves planting various types of vegetation to provide natural air conditioning for the building. It will include a water reservoir to reduce run-off and provide a habitat for birds, as well as outdoor leisure space for individuals.

WOW technology is an electronic system which publicly displays the building’s energy performance in a measurable way and in real time.

Combined with other features, the city hall building is expected to exceed national building code standards for energy conservation by 25 per cent and water conservation by about 50 per cent.

“To my knowledge the Corner Brook city hall complex will be the first public building in the province to qualify for silver LEED certification and we are thrilled to attain this level of efficiency ... The green design of the city hall complex will enable us to reduce energy costs over the life of the building and contribute to a cleaner and healthier environment,” said Mayor Charles Pender.

The building will incorporate a geothermal heating and cooling system. In conjunction with the other energy-efficiency features, the city hall will have the potential to reduce the greenhouse gases emitted from the building by 500 tonnes per year— the equivalent of removing about 100 cars from the road.

Johnson said the project represents a tremendous opportunity to showcase the province’s leadership in environmental practices.

“This building, coupled with the ongoing efforts after its physical construction, truly represent a holistic approach to being green,” said the minister. “I have said on many occasions that we must lead by example when it comes to environmental stewardship and sustainable practices and the City of Corner Brook is doing just that with their new city hall.

“It is a wonderful project for Corner Brook. It is a wonderful project for our province and it is a wonderful project for our environment.”
17/06/09

[Architype]

It's cool that the new city hall will have a green roof, and will be LEED certified.

[nl_eng]

Speaking of LEED Certification and Corner Brook, here's a construction picture of the new Long-term Care Facility being built right now in the city by Pomerleau of Quebec ... construction started in 2006/7 if I recall correctly, and looks like it's getting close to completion. Valued at ~$61 million. The building is 5 stories (including the penthouse) with a basement, and is aiming for LEED Silver Certification (which is the minimum level that the Province is trying to achieve with all its new buildings, including the new schools in the Province).

http://www.releases.gov.nl.ca/releas...611n09pic2.htm

“To my knowledge the Corner Brook city hall complex will be the first public building in the province to qualify for silver LEED certification and we are thrilled to attain this level of efficiency ... The green design of the city hall complex will enable us to reduce energy costs over the life of the building and contribute to a cleaner and healthier environment,” said Mayor Charles Pender.

Needless to say, Mayor Pender is incorrect ... the Corner Brook City Hall will not be the first public building in the province to qualify for LEED Silver ... the Corner Brook Long-term Care Facility for sure and potentially one of the new schools will beat the City Hall to the punch.

Contractor's fact sheet:

Corner Brook Long Term Care Facility

Corner Brook - NL

With 4 stories and a penthouse, a total of 20,000 square meters of space, the new Corner Brook Long-Term Care Facility will provide 236 beds for long-term care, including a veteran's unit, plus four dementia care units, each with 10 beds, housed in residential duplexes. Located on the west coast of Newfoundland, it will be the first provincial government "green building" in Newfoundland and Labrador.

The project, which is being LEED® registered, will incorporate many "green" technologies, including:

* The largest ground source vertical heat exchanger in Atlantic Canada;
* A no-energy input, onsite tertiary standard wastewater treatment system through an engineered wetland;
* Water efficiency measure to reduce daily flow to 40% below government design standard;
* A high performance building envelope that assists in predicted 50% annual energy savings;
* A passive onsite surface runoff, storm water treatment and retention system.

The Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Newfoundland and Labrador (PEGNL) 2007 Environmental Award was presented to the provincial Department of Transportation and Works "in recognition of making a healthier environment through the application of science and technology, within the professions of engineering and geoscience" for their "leadership and initiative in the design concept of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)-compliant Long-Term Care Facility in Corner Brook."
http://www.pomerleau.ca/construction...-Facility.aspx

[Architype]

It sounds like Corner Brook is probably ahead of St. John's in this regard.



"Pictured here New Corner Brook Long term-care facility, currently under construction and valued at $60.7 million"
Source: http://www.releases.gov.nl.ca/releas...tw/0611n09.htm

Thanks for the info, and welcome to the forum.

[nl_eng]

Thanks for the welcome. I'll have to try to get out to Corner Brook over the summer and get some better pictures of the new LTC. A picture of the entire facility would be good to have here ... I'm surprised the Government never released such a picture, though I'm sure they're really proud of how that entrance looks! lol

[Architype]

The possibility of building transmission lines through Gros Morne National Park (a UNESCO world heritage site) has been in the news for awhile now. Although the lines themselves would likely not do much damage, what they represent symbolically, aesthetically or otherwise seems to have people polarized on the issue. This is one of many articles written on the subject:

Park designation threatened?
UNESCO action highlights concern for Gros Morne

Last updated at 8:59 AM on 04/07/09

ROB ANTLE
The Telegram

UNESCO recently pulled World Heritage Site status from the Dresden Elbe Valley in Germany, highlighting the possibility of the same thing happening here if transmission lines are run through Gros Morne National Park.

The United Nations agency removed Dresden from the World Heritage List last week for building a four-lane bridge "in the heart of the cultural landscape," a UNESCO news release noted.

UNESCO said Dresden is only the second property ever to have been removed from the list.

Crown-owned Nalcor Energy unveiled plans earlier this year to run transmission lines for the proposed Lower Churchill project through Gros Morne.

The proposal would include a series of 40-plus-metre-high transmission towers through more than 60 kilometres of the park.

There is an alternative route around the park, but it is considered more expensive and more difficult from a technical standpoint.

The Gros Morne transmission plan generated opposition from environmental and tourism groups, along with Parks Canada, which must approve the project.

Continue reading article here:
http://www.thetelegram.com/index.cfm?sid=266463&sc=79

[kingcobra]

http://thewesternstar.com/index.cfm?sid=266856&sc=23

Majestic — the sequel; Despite some changes, developer hopes to maintain historical integrity of theatre print this article

CORNER BROOK
GARY KEAN
The Western Star

Stephen Brake, left, and Tyler Kean, employees with Kent Home Improvement, unload sheets of wall board at the former Majestic Theatre while truck crane operator Fred Jones and project developer Daniel Hubert look on. — Star photo by Gary Kean
Stephen Brake, left, and Tyler Kean, employees with Kent Home Improvement, unload sheets of wall board at the former Majestic Theatre while truck crane operator Fred Jones and project developer Daniel Hubert look on. — Star photo by Gary Kean

Daniel Hubert says he is trying to retain as much of the historical features of the old Majestic Theatre building as he possibly can, but a small amount of change will be inevitable as he develops the structure for more commercially viable purposes.

The building ceased operating as a theatre in February after more than 83 years of showing films and hosting the occasional public meeting.

Its 600 seats are now gone and so are its familiar lobby and balcony.

Hubert has since removed the angled floor of the theatre and has created two floors from the space once occupied by the theatre. The ground-level floor, accessible through a new side door near where movie-goers once exited through after taking in a flick, has half its area partitioned off for office space with the rest of the lower level to soon follow suit.

The second level, which will be accessible through a new staircase to be located just inside what had been the theatre’s main entrance, is still completely wide open.

While the changes are dramatic inside, Hubert hopes to maintain the look of the outside as much as possible. He couldn’t, though, leave the building windowless, and has placed a couple of windows on the side facing Church Street. Another set of windows is planned to be installed in the same locations on the second level.

To put the windows in, historical murals painted on the building’s exterior had to be painted over.

“That was a sensitive issue, but even I thought those paintings were beautiful and I took some pictures of them myself,” said Hubert. “The Majestic Theatre is an historical building, but you cannot keep something that will not be financially viable forever. I think people understand this is evolution and it is moving on to something else.

“We are trying to preserve the building as much as possible, but the paintings, unfortunately, had to be taken away because we can’t put in a window and keep the painting around it.”

Hubert has had lots of conversations with neighbours in the area and said the City of Corner Brook has also asked him to be mindful of the landmark’s significance. He said there will be no changes to the roof of the building and the chimney will stay as long as it remains a safe structure.

As of right now, Hubert does not plan to put windows in the same pattern on the side of the building which faces the residential area of lower East Valley Road, though he hasn’t completely ruled out the possibility of a window closer to the front of the building.

“We’re trying to keep this not cumbersome to the neighbourhood,” he said. “We are in the middle of downtown, but there are still houses around and we understand people still want to enjoy the privacy of their backyards.”

The plans call for keeping the main entrance the same, though some touch-up work will be needed on the pillars located jut below the old theatre’s marquee.

Of the 3,100 square feet of space available on the lower level, 1,700 square feet has already been leased by the provincial government. According to the Department of Transportation and Works, which handles government’s building construction and lease agreements, legal aid will be leasing the space for its family and child legal service division.

Hubert said the 3,400 square feet of space available upstairs would be useful for a retail outlet of some sort.

“It could be anything: a store or more office space,” he said. “It is still wide open at the moment and no divisions have been made, but we will turn it into whatever is wanted.”

The area is also known for its parking congestion. Hubert said there is ample parking in the area already for the building’s requirements, but he still hopes to help improve on the current situation.

“We would like to offer something more organized for the area,” he said.

The building is expected to be ready for its first tenants in early September.

[kingcobra]

Originally Posted by Architype

The possibility of building transmission lines through Gros Morne National Park (a UNESCO world heritage site) has been in the news for awhile now. Although the lines themselves would likely not do much damage, what they represent symbolically, aesthetically or otherwise seems to have people polarized on the issue. This is one of many articles written on the subject:



Continue reading article here:
http://www.thetelegram.com/index.cfm?sid=266463&sc=79

I hope they will figure out some ways to save money if possible when they decide to build transmission lines around Gros Morne National park.

[Architype]

I considered making a new thread for Labrador or for this article, but decided to post it here for now. I think the future and viability of Labrador is dependant upon providing more infrastructure such as this. At present, the third and final phase of the TLH or Trans-Labrador Highway connecting Happy Valley-Goose Bay to the Southeast coast is under construction.

Inuit want road to northern Labrador

Inuit want road to northern Labrador
Last Updated: Wednesday, July 29, 2009 | 10:16 AM NT Comments34Recommend27CBC News
Labrador Inuit are renewing their call for a highway to northern Labrador, saying they don't think they should have to wait 25 years for a road link.

Nunatsiavut First Minister Tony Andersen said he wants a feasibility study on a highway to Rigolet, Makkovik and Postville and his government will pay up to $80,000 toward the cost because northern Labrador can't move forward without better runways, ferries and eventually a road.

"Economic development is held hostage to this antiquated transportation infrastructure," he said.

The Nunatsiavut government, which provides self-government for Inuit in northern Labrador, has made an offer to help pay for the study in writing to three consecutive provincial transportation ministers. The government has said in the past it won't take on any new projects until the Trans-Labrador Highway that serves central and southern Labrador is finished.

Andersen was interested to hear Labrador Affairs Minister John Hickey committing the province last week to hard-surfacing every kilometre of the Trans-Labrador Highway including southern Labrador.

"Their response again has been, 'No there will be no work not entertaining thoughts about further work until the current work is done,' which [coming] out of the mouth of Minister Hickey last week is likely 13-14 years from now, if completion means hard top," Andersen said.

"So we're talking 25 year before we see a link of the Trans-Labrador into Nunatsiavut, and this is not acceptable," he said. Provincial Transportation Minister Trevor Taylor wasn't available for comment Tuesday.

The Inuit government isn't the only group calling on Taylor to find out how much a road to the north would cost.

Garfield Flowers, an entrepreneur in Hopedale, said there should have been a feasibility study years ago, and a road to the north should have been part of Vale Inco's nickel mine.

CBC Article with comments here:
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/newfoundlan...socialcomments

For a look at a map showing the location of these communities (Makkovik, Postville and Rigolet) in the context of Labrador infrastructure, click here:
http://www.labradorwest.com/images/labwestmap.jpg

[kingcobra]

I think it is an excellent location of a new hospital in Corner Brook!

http://thewesternstar.com/index.cfm?sid=290164&sc=23

New hospital site chosen: Wheeler's Road and Lewin Parkway is Western Health's new address

CORNER BROOK
CLIFF WELLS
The Western Star

Premier Danny Williams, left, and Minister of Health and Community Services Paul Oram, unveil where the site of the new Western Memorial Regional Hospital will be built Monday. — Star photo by Geraldine Brophy

The announcement of a new Western Memorial Regional Hospital is the about the biggest news Tony Genge has ever heard.

The chair of Western Health’s board of directors told The Western Star the new facility, which will be east of Wheeler’s Road and north the Lewin Parkway near the intersection of both roads, augurs well for the region as a whole. He believes it addresses a real need in health care, and he’s happy government has stepped up.

“This is by far the biggest announcement I’ve heard, if not (just) in the western region, then in the province since we’ve restructured,” Genge said. “It has huge potential for the improvement of health-care services for our whole region from the Port aux Basques area and the south coast right up the Northern Peninsula.

“It’s the biggest announcement since I came here in 1995 by far. There’s nothing close to it, really.

Israel Hann, a seniors activist and long-term care advocate, said the announcement of Corner Brook’s new hospital is music to his ears, but he’s hoping the tune won’t last as long as it did with the long-term care centre he pushed 12 years for.

“It took 10 years to complete it from the time they announced they we’re going to do it ... from the planning stages it took 10 years,” Hann said. “I’m hoping within eight to 10 years the hospital is going to be completed and open for business.

“With the architectural work and the groundwork that has to be done, I think it’s going to take that long.”

In announcing the hospital Premier Danny Williams said the new facility will cost “multi-hundreds of millions” of dollars.

He said 15 sites were examined in the search for the new hospital site with criteria such as soil-type and room for expansion.

“The new Western Memorial Regional Hospital will undoubtedly be one of the single largest infrastructure projects this province has seen in recent memory,” Williams said. “I mean it. This is a big deal, folks.

“You don’t put hundreds of millions of dollars into a new state-of-the-art facility that’s going to be the best in the province without believing there is a really solid future for the people of the region.”

He said a new 1.6 kilometre road from the top of Wheeler’s Road to the Sir Wilfred Grenfell College area will help connect the long-term care centre, dementia units and new hospital.

Now that the site has been selected, the next step is to develop a program for the building, and then start the groundwork.

The cash for site selection and programming for the new hospital is just part of the $76 million to be spent this year on health-care infrastructure.

The premier said there’s only so much money to go around and he wants to make sure it’s spent wisely.

“I reach out to the people of Lewisporte and Flower’s Cove. This government is not trying to punish anybody,” he said. “We’re not trying to make victims of anybody. We’re not trying to say we’re going to take away your X-ray service and let somebody else keep it. That’s not what this is about. We’re trying to say to these communities, Lewisporte for example, we’re putting in a $34 million facility. We’ve spent millions on roads. We need you to help us. We need to help us find some savings and where you can, let’s do it, let’s become more efficient.”

Paul Oram, Health and Community Services minister, said the new facility is delivering health care to the people of the province in the best possible way.

He said the announcement is a big step forward in health care for the province.

“Work on the new facility is ongoing and right now the programming, the determination for the new facility, is well underway,” Oram said. “When this process is complete, the planning for site preparation work can then begin.”

[Architype]

^ It's nice news to get a new facility, but it is bad planning with respect to the location being on the fringes about 3 km south of the downtown centre, and is another example where almost the entire population will need to drive (no public transit to speak of) to get to it. I guess that's necessary if there is a land shortage in Corner Brook.

[NLJP]

Originally Posted by Architype

^ It's nice news to get a new facility, but it is bad planning with respect to the location being on the fringes about 3 km south of the downtown centre, and is another example where almost the entire population will need to drive (no public transit to speak of) to get to it. I guess that's necessary if there is a land shortage in Corner Brook.

What's a bit of urban sprawl? This is Newfoundland we're talking about...

[Architype]

Originally Posted by NLJP

What's a bit of urban sprawl? This is Newfoundland we're talking about...

^Sarcasm ? Yes, urban sprawl is not such a big problem there I know, but I believe in the idea of locating things where the maximum number of users and employees can gain access by walking rather than having to drive etc., also reducing more parking lot sprawl. I don't think that concept is too ridiculous. Picture the ideal small town with all its major institutions and services in one main street or area (ie downtown) within reach of a high percentage of residents. You need an area with some density in order to do that. It's true that many people using the regional hospital have to come from outside CB, but I think the principle still holds true. At least they are doing that by keeping the new city hall downtown.

[NLJP]

Originally Posted by Architype

^Sarcasm ? Yes, urban sprawl is not such a big problem there I know, but I believe in the idea of locating things where the maximum number of users and employees can gain access by walking rather than having to drive etc., also reducing more parking lot sprawl. I don't think that concept is too ridiculous. Picture the ideal small town with all its major institutions and services in one main street or area (ie downtown) within reach of a high percentage of residents. You need an area with some density in order to do that. It's true that many people using the regional hospital have to come from outside CB, but I think the principle still holds true. At least they are doing that by keeping the new city hall downtown.

There aren't a lot (or any) towns in Newfoundland like that, unfortunately. I guess if you lived in downtown Gander somewhere between Airport, Bennett and Elizabeth most things would be in close proximity... everything's down there except Walmart. :lol:

Grand Falls-Windsor has potential to have a nice downtown...moreso than Gander in my opinion, but I spent a few nights in a hotel on Union Street near the hospital (apt at Keyin College up on Hardy Avenue) and did some walking around and exploring and there didn't seem to be much to do/shop at/see downtown. High Street has that feel to it when you walk it but it's rather short and takes a whole like 15 seconds in entirety to drive through and pretty much consists of city (well, town) hall and a few banks. I walked down there around 9pm one night and one of the local restaurants looked packed through the window, that's a good sign I guess but I'm sure there were double the people doing their usual eating at McD's and Tim Hortons on Cromer Avenue at the same time.

GFW wasn't really all that walkable, mostly consisted of a few centralized "regions" of the town - like the Goodyear Avenue/Union Street hospital area that kinda ran into the High Street/loads of 4 way intersection bounded streets south of Lincoln Road down towards the mill... there's a new subdivision that just screams sprawl further down on Scott Avenue that's in walking distance of NOTHING, Harmsworth Drive - not sure if it's even on Google Maps yet. Windsor is primarily residential, although there are a few stores along the west end of Main Street and some industrial stuff around the Queensway/new Park St that runs into Princess Drive/upper Hardy Avenue/Earle Street area.

One thing I never really noticed in all the time I've spent in Grand Falls-Windsor growing up going there to visit family was how EVERY traffic light in the town is on the same street... with different names (unless I missed something).

-Light at Union Street/Lincoln Road/Goodyear Avenue at the hospital (off the TCH)
-You continue up Union Street which becomes Harris Avenue and then there's a light on the corner of Harris Avenue and Pinsent Drive-Brown Avenue
-Continuing on Harris Avenue, there's a new traffic-activated light at Harris and Hardy, right next to Keyin College.
-A few hellish T-intersections follow, Earle Street and Duggan Street which are just constant people cutting you off because if they don't, there's no chance they're getting anywhere in the near future... traffic light, anyone?
-Harris Avenue becomes Cromer Avenue
-Another traffic light at Pinsent Drive by the Exploits Valley Mall

Essentially, the "main route", Union Street-Harris Avenue-Cromer Avenue is all one road that kinda half-loops around (consult map) and I found it amusing that all the traffic lights in town were on that. Windsor and downtown is FULL of 4-way intersections, some of which I found had huge trees that I could barely see around and blind hills that made me cringe as I creeped through them (drivers in GFW are wonderful, almost dare I say it as bad as St. John's drivers, just without traffic and traffic lights)

When I was at Keyin College (which is THE most run-down educational institution I've visited, to say the least and 4 days there was long enough thank you), I walked down to Tim Hortons and the Exploits Valley Restaurant in the EVM (exploits valley mall) and man, that part of Grand Falls-Windsor is THE LEAST WALKABLE place on earth. People pulling out of lots everywhere - the usual line up on the street 20 cars down to get into Timmies drive-through, Canadian Tire, Earle Street and Duggan Street, Sobeys, Dominion, the EVM entrance and exits... there was NO regard for crosswalks whatever - so much for pedestrians having the right-of-way, I spent 90% of my time standing on the curb waiting for someone to actually stop and let me walk by. I found drivers were a lot more courteous downtown, but that could be due to the narrower roads and general slower driving. Walked 7-8km one night and had no problems (around Goodyear-mill area-Lincoln-Union-High Street and god knows where else).