THUNDER BAY – The City of Thunder Bay is looking to the federal government to lend a financial hand on renewal of the Centennial Botanical Conservatory.
The city recently submitted an application for $2.5 million in federal funding to the Canada Cultural Spaces Fund (CCSF) – half of the project’s roughly $5 million estimated cost.
That total includes around $3.1 million to renovate and reopen the conservatory’s side wings, replace glass panels and the boiler, and potentially introduce new attractions like an event room and coffee bar.
It also includes $1.8 million for replacement of the adjacent production greenhouses, which feed the conservatory and city gardens. That amount was unanimously approved by city council in October of 2020.
However, council has not yet made a decision on the renewal of the conservatory. That call could be made in June, when councillors will receive a more detailed report from parks and open spaces manager Cory Halvorsen.
However, several councillors have already indicated they expect the conservatory renewal to go forward, despite a recommendation in the city's recent program and services review to close the facility.
“You aren’t just going to fix up the greenhouses and leave everything else,” said Coun. Rebecca Johnson as council debated the greenhouse funding. “That makes no sense to me at all. If we pass this, we’re going to have a conservatory.”
The Canada Cultural Spaces Fund supports the improvement of physical conditions for arts, heritage, culture and creative innovation.
It covers up to $15 million or half of total costs, whichever is less, for eligible construction or renovation projects.
An application was submitted in mid-February, but a resolution of support from city council is still required, with a vote set for Monday.
Halvorsen was confident the conservatory renewal project is eligible and would be seriously considered after discussions with fund administrators.
“This isn’t an application we just prepared and submitted in isolation – we’ve discussed the project in detail, made sure they understood what it entailed and how it related to this specific funding opportunity,” he said. “I believe it’s a good fit… however, it’s a competitive fund.”
The city won’t be holding its breath, however – a definitive answer may not come for up to 30 weeks, or mid-September.
That means city council may not know the result of the application when it considers Halvorsen’s report in June. However, he noted the conservatory work is unlikely to proceed to construction until at least 2022.
