FERGUS – Described as a pivotal moment in Centre Wellington’s story, the official groundbreaking of the new Centre Wellington Operations Centre was held Monday morning.
The new facility will be located on the recently acquired 20-acre parcel of land at 965 Gartshore Street, in Fergus.
photo by Austin Cardinell
Speaking at the groundbreaking, Mayor Shawn Watters says the operations centre represents more than just bricks and mortar. He says it’s a symbol of the township’s commitment to building a thriving, resilient, and forward-thinking municipality.
Dan Wilson, the township’s Chief Administrative Officer, said this operations centre represents a critical investment in the backbone of community operations.
According to the townships ConnectCW website, the Operations Centre will be built in 2 Phases.
Phase 1 of the facility will include building the exterior works yard and outdoor operations areas, the garage buildings, including heated and unheated storage bays, workshop space, maintenance bays, 2 greenhouses, and constructing the full office areas to accommodate space needs for the next 20 years.
Phase 2 of the facility includes additions to the heated and unheated garage areas, a salt storage and brine mixing facility with indoor loading, and 2 additional greenhouses.
The new Operations Centre will include space for staff, vehicles, and equipment for the following departments:
- Public Works
- Water Services
- Engineering
- Planning and Development
- Source Water Protection
- Parks and Recreation
- Forestry
- Information Technology
- Archives and Records Storage
Colin Baker, Centre Wellington Managing Director of Infrastructure, says the new operations centre is also very unique.
He says there are not many operations centres out there that invite the community to be part of.
The Operations Centre will be built in 2 Phases, and is scheduled to open in the fall of 2026.
photo by Austin Cardinell
More information on the new operations centre can be found at connectcw.ca
