Lin Dunn Lane project approved to support new Linwood health centre

By Galen Simmons

Wellesley Township council has awarded a construction contract for upgrades to Lin Dunn Lane and the parking lot at the Linwood Community Centre, a project intended to improve access to the new health centre currently under development at the site.

At its June 9 meeting, council approved awarding the contract to Cambridge-based 5 Star Paving Inc. for a total tender price of $281,670.03, excluding HST. The work includes paving Lin Dunn Lane from Manser Road to the community-centre property, installing concrete curbs and completing parking-lot improvements adjacent to the new health-centre addition.

“This project came up relatively quickly; it wasn’t high on our priority list until the Woolwich Community Health Centre addition at the Linwood Community Centre was proposed,” township director of public works Chris Cook said. “It made a lot of sense to pave this road and connect it at the parking lot.

“We looked at several design options and settled on a very simple paving project including Lin Dunn and some sidewalk and curb, and asphalt in the parking lot of the community centre.”

The project was identified during 2026 budget deliberations and included in the township’s 10-year capital forecast as a recommended upgrade from gravel to asphalt. Township staff noted the improvements will provide a continuous entrance to the community-centre property, making access easier for residents while also improving winter maintenance and waste-collection operations.

The parking-lot upgrades are specifically designed to support the new health-centre addition by providing parking for staff and patients close to the building’s main entrance.

The work represents another step forward in the long-planned expansion of health-care services in Linwood.

In March, council approved a construction and funding agreement with the Woolwich Community Health Centre that allows the organization to build a new medical facility attached to the east side of the Linwood Community Centre. The 2,092-square-foot addition will include a reception area, waiting room, three exam rooms, a laboratory, pharmacy, office space and staff room.

The new facility is intended to replace the existing nurse-practitioner clinic in Linwood, which township officials have said is no longer large enough to meet the needs of the growing community and presents accessibility challenges for patients.

Council previously heard that site improvements associated with the health-centre project would include paving the existing gravel parking area and opening Lin Dunn Lane to create a second entrance to the recreation-facility property.

Five bids were received through the township’s tender process, with 5 Star Paving submitting the lowest bid. The contract value came in below the $300,000 budget approved by council earlier this year.

Cook told council the project cost will be split three ways with half the project cost coming from the township’s infrastructure reserve and half from the recreation facilities reserve. Of the half being funded through the recreation reserve, 25 per cent will be funded by the Woolwich Community Health Centre to cover a portion of the cost of the parking-lot work.

Construction is expected to be coordinated with ongoing health-centre construction activities and must be completed by the end of October.