Sinkhole stalls Belleville park project

By Renée Rodgers

Belleville city council is trying to find a solution to the big hole in Jane Forrester Park.

Council will request a meeting with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans to discuss sharing the cost of necessary repairs. This was announced during a city council meeting August 8.

The Jane Forrester Park project and reconstruction of the surrounding roads was completed and re-opened to the public in 2010. Yet a large sinkhole formed at the end of South Front Street in the spring of 2011. A temporary fence has been placed around the hole and traffic is not permitted in the area. Stantec Consulting Ltd. then found three more holes underneath the pier during a subsequent underwater survey.

The city has retained Golder Associates, the project’s original engineers, to investigate sinkhole damage around the park and design a plan to remedy the situation.

Since the city does not have the funds to fix the damage, council is hoping the department will supplement the cost of repairs.