Orillia city councillors take steps to reopen Rotary Place
City of Orillia councillors are taking steps to reopen Rotary Place after closing the recreational facility when a case of Legionnaires' disease was linked to the water cooling tower earlier this month.
The health unit had said the outbreak of Legionella that infected 35 people, claiming the life of one, no longer posed a risk to the community on Nov. 7; despite that, the City kept Rotary Place closed.
At a special meeting on Thursday, councillors authorized staff to execute an agreement for the costs associated with installing a temporary refrigeration system.
The City says the cost of the system can't exceed $425,000 and would be covered by funds from the Tax Rate Stabilization Reserve.
Since its closure, sports organizations that rely on the facility for ice time have scrambled to come up with alternatives.
"We understand the significant impact the loss of the ice at Rotary Place has had on our ice user groups," said Mayor Don McIsaac.
The City says it hopes to have the doors to Rotary Place reopened by early January with one ice pad for use, with the second available a few weeks later.
A more long-term solution for the facility's operation is expected to be presented to councillors for consideration next week.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Louis Gossett Jr., 1st Black man to win supporting actor Oscar, dies at 87
Louis Gossett Jr., the first Black man to win a supporting actor Oscar and an Emmy winner for his role in the seminal TV miniseries 'Roots,' has died. He was 87.
Weather alerts issued for 7 provinces, 1 territory
Warnings of up to 60 millimetres of rain and other alerts have been issued for seven Canadian provinces and one territory ahead of the Easter weekend.
He didn't trust police but sought their help anyway. Two days later, he was dead
Jameek Lowery was among more than 330 Black people who died after police stopped them with tactics that aren’t supposed to be deadly, like physical restraint and use of stun guns, The Associated Press found.
Luxury cruise line selling world cruise suite for US$1.7 million
Luxury operator Regent Seven Seas Cruises is raising their price tag to eye-watering levels, with a suite on an upcoming 140-day world voyage costing US$1.7 million.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
A Filipino villager is nailed to a cross for the 35th time on Good Friday to pray for world peace
A Filipino villager has been nailed to a wooden cross for the 35th time to reenact Jesus Christ’s suffering in a brutal Good Friday tradition he said he would devote to pray for peace in Ukraine, Gaza and the disputed South China Sea.
Ontario homeowner on the hook for $27,000 when contractor severed power line
An Ontario man who built a garage on his property has been locked in a battle with his electricity provider for a year and half over a severed power line.
Fluid in eye cells can 'boil' if you watch the eclipse without protection: expert
Millions of people in parts of Eastern and Atlantic Canada will be able to see the rare solar eclipse happening on April 8. But they should only look up if they have proper eye protection, experts say.
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.