THUNDER BAY – Visitors to Chippewa Park will experience the carousel in its full glory next summer, after Thunder Bay City Council approved $200,000 in funding to help restore the historic amenity.
With that contribution, the Friends of Chippewa Park will have achieved their fundraising goal of $1.2 million, allowing full restoration to proceed.
Council had previously approved $71,000 for the project at its Nov. 25 meeting, to be drawn from the community partnership program. A motion from Westfort councillor Kristen Oliver to allocate an additional $129,000 was narrowly defeated at the time, with councillors suggesting the decision should wait until the city’s budget deliberations in February of next year.
Oliver asked council to reconsider at its Monday meeting, after learning the delayed funding approval would mean the carousel wouldn’t be ready in time for summer. “The timelines are very narrow” with such specialized work, she says, partly because one of the main contractors is moving in the coming months. Council approved the additional funding from the city’s stabilization reserve fund.
Oliver says people from across the community have banded together to make the restoration a reality. That includes a number of high school classes, one of which is building a custom, wheelchair-accessible carriage. Oliver says many of those chipping in today enjoyed the ride as children and want to ensure future generations have the same chance.
