The County of Prince Edward is moving ahead with accessibility upgrades to Shire Hall in Picton.
The plans include:
- Altering the current ramp at the side of Shire Hall and creating a new entrance to make it easier for people using a wheeled mobility device to access the building
- Renovating the main floor bathrooms to make them universal with barrier-free features to accommodate a wheeled mobility device
- Upgrading the Council Chambers to meet requirements under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act. The work in the Council Chambers will also include improvements to audio and visual technology.
The municipality will fund the work in part using the $199,174 provided by COVID-19 Resilience Infrastructure Stream of the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program, which is a joint partnership between the federal and provincial governments. Council has allocated an additional $100,000 to cover the municipality’s share of the project.
The municipality is currently in the design phase for the project, before moving to tender for construction in August or September. Under the terms of the funding agreement, the project must be completed by December 31, 2021.
Shire Hall was constructed in 1874, including Council Chambers on the second floor, where meetings have been taking place in some form ever since. With physical distancing requirements in place since March 2020, Council has physically met in the Chambers on one occasion.
Council will return to a hybrid model for its meetings in August with councillors gathering in person at the Wellington and District Community Centre but no public attendance. Meetings will be streamed live on YouTube. Council meetings at Shire Hall will resume when it is safe to do so under the COVID-19 protocols.
If you have questions, contact the County of Prince Edward at 613.476.2148 extension 1023, 613.962.9108 extension 1023 or info@pecounty.on.ca.
