Thunder Bay

Thunder Bay City Council talk about replacing rock retaining wall

Thunder Bay engineering officials say the stone-covered wall on High Street needs work, and soon.

Money to fix structure in 2017 budget but council still needs to decide scope of project

Thunder Bay city councillors have moved one step closer to finalizing the 2017 budget. (CBC)

The future of an old stone-covered retaining wall in one of the oldest neighbourhoods in Thunder Bay, Ont. occupied city councillors' attention at municipal budget meetings Wednesday evening.

The roughly 70 year-old wall that runs along High Street, south of Red River Road needs to be replaced, and soon, according to city engineering officials.

"[The city has been] advised from several different professional engineers that the structure has failed," Thunder Bay's Director of Engineering Kayla Dixon told council during the meeting.

While the wall's stone-and-mortar facade has shown signs of deterioration over a number of years, that cracking is now present throughout the 1.8 metre-thick structure, Dixon said.

"We can't just go and re-point the face of that structure and feel that we have stabilized it and fixed it."

The wall also acts as a base for part of a residential street, Cornwall Avenue, which is elevated in relation to High Street, located at the bottom of the wall.

A memorandum to council expanded on the degree of deterioration in the structure, including the fact that it is leaning toward High Street, the stone and mortar joints are loose, cracked and missing in several spots and those exposed areas allow water to seep into the structure.

"We need to fix this structure this year," Dixon told council.

What will a new wall look like, and what will it cost?

In terms of the cost, $2.3 million has been earmarked in the 2017 budget for the wall, although city officials said $550,000 is expected be paid for by city taxes, with the rest coming from federal gas tax money.

However, council still has to decide on a final rehabilitation option and design, which could change the project's cost.

That is expected to be discussed more in-depth in a few weeks — including deputations from the public — but on Wednesday, councillors started to weigh in.

"I do want to say whatever solution comes forward, I would prefer us to not have a flat wall," Coun. Linda Rydholm said. "To me, a flat wall of any type would just invite graffiti."
The 70 year-old wall on High Street in Thunder Bay is scheduled for replacement in 2017. (Thunder Bay Culture & Events / Facebook)

Rydholm, and other councillors also spoke about the historic-looking stonework on the existing structure. Options for public art to be included in the final design have also been floated.

The work involved will be significant, Dixon said.

"The entire wall will be taken down and Cornwall Avenue will also be gone," she told councillors.

"It will be removed down to bedrock and then the wall will be replaced in layers."