The Ministry of Transportation has awarded the highway maintenance contract for the Huntsville area to Fowler Construction.
The contract covers provincial highways within the Muskoka, Haliburton, Huntsville and Parry Sound areas.
“A minimum of 60 new year round jobs will result from this contract. Being able to offer steady, good paying jobs to local residents is very important to our company,” said Moreen Miller, President of Fowler Construction Company Limited. “In addition to truck and plow drivers, there will be road patrollers and summer maintenance crews."
The Bracebridge based company expects some positions will be filled by employees from the previous service provider but said many positions will be new hires.
“Fowler prides themselves on providing quality work resulting in safe driving conditions. I know that securing this significant contract will please a lot of people locally,” said Bracebridge Mayor Graydon Smith.
The ministry and current service provider, Carillion Canada Inc. mutually agreed to end their contract for the Huntsville area as of August 31, 2018. Their initial contract wasn’t due to expire until 2023.
Carillion will continue to provide uninterrupted services until the end of their contract.
Carillion was fined $900,000 for failing to clear Ontario highways in 2014 and was again under investigation by the province last year.
The ministry issued a request for proposals back in September for a new year-round service provider.
“The RFP included several new measures to strengthen winter maintenance activities, including enhancements to winter equipment requirements, road patrolling requirements and the use of winter materials,” the ministry stated in a press release issued Friday.
Fowler’s contract will take effect on September 1, 2018.
