MOOSE JAW — City hall says nearly a dozen capital projects are in jeopardy of not being completed this year because of scheduling issues, with initiatives ranging from a new cricket pitch to replacing the outdoor pool.
City administration presented a second-quarter report about the municipality’s finances during the Aug. 25 regular city council meeting. Included in the document was a status update of all the capital projects the city is pursuing.
While the schedules of most projects were either on track or faced potential risk, there were 11 with completion schedules in jeopardy, the report said.
The city plans to build a cricket field for $50,000 and has worked with the Saskatchewan Cricket Association to finalize the work and field specifications, while it installed a concrete pitch in July.
Meanwhile, installing fencing to protect the nearby skate park may happen in September, but landscaping won’t happen this year because of high construction costs, which means the field will become operational in 2026, the report added.
The city plans to renovate Memorial Field, with $117,289 remaining in the budget. However, tariffs have affected procuring supplies for the renovations, while city hall expects to face higher-than-budgeted construction costs, which means the project won’t be completed this year.
Rosedale Cemetery’s crematorium building needs a complete roof replacement, with $122,701 remaining in the budget, but full restoration will occur in 2026 due to an unexpected issue that arose this year, the report said.
The crematorium faced a roof failure in the first quarter, an engineer offered advice in Q2 and the city completed asbestos abatement in June and structural repairs in July, the document continued. City hall planned to restore the metal roofing after the structural repairs were finished, but a review by the engineer and roof consultant found design flaws with the existing system.
Instead, the city will pursue a new roof system to improve its performance and minimize leaks, the report added. City hall expects construction to be completed in Q3.
Meanwhile, the city has put on hold the outdoor pool replacement project because the initiative requires additional funding that the municipality does not have.
The city plans to spend $50,252 to enhance accessibility at Ross Wells Ballpark and upgrade the venue’s washrooms, but probably not this year.
City hall is responsible for amenities at the Westheath park near the new joint school and has $634,931 left in the budget. However, procuring equipment has been delayed by tariffs, while bid submissions were double the budgeted amount. Therefore, the city will delay installing the park building and hockey rink until 2026.
The report noted that the building requires design simplifications, while the rink will undergo a design review to find project-related savings.
Of note, another Q2 report shows that only one of 52 residential lots available in phase 5 of the Westheath development has been sold.
The city plans to renew the waterslide at the Kinsmen Sportsplex pool and has $22,772 left in the budget. However, the report noted that bid submissions were higher than anticipated, so replacing the bolts will happen next year. Meanwhile, the city completed basic repairs in May after a section of the waterslide failed.
Temple Gardens Centre wants to install steel rigging to help attract bigger concerts and more acts and has a budget of $461,801. However, more money is required before the venue can proceed with this project.
The city wants to clean up one of its properties through environmental remediation for $60,375, and has removed fuel tanks from the site, the report said. However, further testing has revealed that more remediation is required and additional funding is needed, so this project will be completed next year.
Lastly, city hall wants to pursue mechanical and building upgrades to the city complex on High Street West, while it also wants to make office renovations there. However, because of increased costs, it will only install a boiler and make a larger office space. The remaining mechanical upgrades will happen in 2026.
The next regular council meeting is Monday, Sept. 8.
