The ripple effects of steel and aluminum tariffs have hit the region months after they were imposed.
Allen Morrison with the Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board says two of their major projects are behind schedule.
“The bottom line seems to be that there are not enough contractors out there to be able to meet the current demand,” he says.
In Bradford, St. Charles was scheduled to be demolished this spring and rebuilt. And a brand new school is in the works in Alliston to accommodate the expected population growth.
Morrison says the budget for the school has jumped by roughly 40 percent.
“The demand is just so high that the prices are inflating to levels that we haven’t seen previously.”
The school board has had to go back to the drawing board to design facilities they can afford. Morrison says contractors have blamed material costs and tariffs for the delays.
New Tecumseth council held an all-day budget meeting where the duties were top of mind.
“The biggest cost that has really affected us is the cost of steel,” Mayor Rick Milne says.
The timeline on construction for these projects is up in the air for the time being, but both the municipality and the school board say they are hoping to get shovels in the ground sooner than later.
