By KEVIN BERGER, Local Journalism Initiative
City of Martensville councillors have approved an application to the 2026 Canada-Community Building Fund (CCBF) for $1,341,800 to carry out Phase 1 of the upgrades along Centennial Drive North.
The application to the CCBF was originally discussed with councillors during their May 12 committee of the whole meeting. They then passed a motion to approve the application during their May 19 council meeting.
The CCBF is a federally-funded program that provides annual, stable funding for municipalities to invest in local infrastructure priorities. However, municipalities must submit detailed project applications in order to access that funding.
This year, the City of Martensville is undertaking a $2.187 million reconstruction project along Centennial Drive North.
This project includes 425 metres of road replacement, 406 metres of new storm sewer piping and the addition of 850 metres of concrete sidewalks and a pedestrian refuge island to enhance safety and drainage.
With $1.341 million coming from the CCBF, the remaining $845,290 will be funded through the city’s Infrastructure Reserve and a $106,983 carry-over for engineering and design from the 2025 budget.
Incidentally, the City of Martensville reported via its Facebook page last week that work is now underway on Phase 1 of the Centennial Drive North upgrades.
According to the post, construction began May 26 on a temporary roadway to the east of Centennial Drive, which should be completed by June 1. This temporary route will help maintain access to businesses and properties adjacent to the project area.
Also beginning on June 1, a section of Centennial Drive North will be closed to through traffic as the next phase of roadway reconstruction begins. Detour routes and temporary access signage will be in place to help residents, customers, and deliveries safely reach local businesses and properties.
The project is currently scheduled for completion by September 1, 2026, depending on weather and site conditions.
Capital funds re-allocated
Council passed a motion approving the re-allocation of $23,000 in carry-over from the 2025 Capital Budget towards flooring upgrades at the Martensville Athletic Pavilion (MAP) and at the Heritage Centre.
This matter was previously discussed at the May 12 committee of the whole meeting and then brought forward for councl to approve on May 19.
As noted in an administration report, a total of $56,700 was carried over from the 2025 Capital Budget for flooring upgrades at the North Ridge Centennial Community Centre (NRCCC) and flood mitigation work at the Civic Centre.
However, administration has identified a solution to address floor pitting at the NRCCC that will only cost $7,000 while the flood mitigation at the Civic Centre is projected to cost $20,000. That leaves $29,700 in carry-over funds to work with.
Administration noted the MAP lobby flooring presents a safety concern due to its slippery surface and the facility having to rely on loose mats. Additional upgrades are also needed in the office space to reduce a significant echo in the side office utilized by the bylaw enforcement officer.
The Heritage Centre flooring is also in worse condition than originally anticipated, and replacement is recommended as the tiles are beginning to lift.
Waste bylaw update
Councillors also passed all three readings on an amendment to the city’s Waste Bylaw requiring multiple-unit buildings to use bins for waste collection, and for those bins to be supplied by the owner of the property at their own expense starting January 1, 2027.
As indicated in an administration report, the city is currently reviewing its waste collection services, which are provided to all residential properties including multi-unit buildings.
The fee for waste collection is a flat rate of $235, which is charged as the Garbage and Recycling Levy on taxes.
However, buildings with one roll number are paying the same for a large bin as an individual residential customer with a small cart, and as such, the levy is not offsetting the true cost of providing the service.
With a number of multi-unit buildings now being constructed in Martensville, administration recommended addressing this issue by making multi-use residential properties responsible for their own waste collection at the start of 2027, giving the owners of those properties half a year to adjust.
Martensville city administration will directly communicate with the affected multi-unit residential properties about the change and assist them with the transition.
This graphic shared to the City of Martensville’s Facebook page shows where the upgrades to Centennial Drive North are being carried out and where traffic is being detoured through the city.