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Wood adds $40,000 to new municipal hall plans

When Lake Cowichan gets the final design for its new municipal hall, there will be some significant use of wood in the building’s plans.

When Lake Cowichan gets the final design for its new municipal hall, there will be some significant use of wood in the building’s plans.

Mayor Ross Forrest brought an idea to the town’s economic and sustainable development committee Nov. 17.

“The administrator [CAO Joe Fernandez] and myself had a conference call yesterday with the architects for the new town hall,” said Forrest.

“Also on the line was a representative of the Wood Council of BC. Because we are a Wood First community, they would like to see us use wood instead of drywall for the ceiling for the new council chamber and the entrance part of the hall. They’d like to see wood instead of plain gyproc.”

But the change means more money has to be spent.

“The additional cost would probably be about $40,000 but he knows he can get donations of wood and what not through the Wood Council so they can’t give us an exact figure. However, they have to know about that before they start doing up the detailed plans. They have to know if it’s going to be wood or a drywall ceiling.

“We [Forrest and Fernandez] weren’t going to make that decision ourselves so I’m bringing it you,” he said.

The change in the project still has to be fitted into the upcoming budget as well.

Fernandez said that since it was a long-term project, the benefit of even $40,000 would be seen for years. Councillors agreed.

Wood has also been used in award-winning ways at both the Cowichan Lake Sports Arena and the Lake Cowichan branch of the Vancouver Island Regional Library.