Woodstock City Council passes 2026 capital budget

Lee Griffi, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The 2026 capital budget with a value of just over $38 million has been approved.

Some of the initiatives included in the 2026 capital budget include an expansion of Southside Park to the south of Parkinson Road, starting with the construction of a paved multiuse trail, community garden and parking areas. Future phases of the expansion will include secondary trail connections, natural playground and outdoor education space. Funding to allow for the purchase of accessible surfacing to improve access to city events for people with mobility challenges was also approved as was the replacement of indoor turf at Cowan Park Sportsplex and construction of a new park in the Sally Creek neighbourhood.

Council also voted in favour of a motion from Coun. Kate Leatherbarrow to deferring funding for the demolition of 478-484 Dundas St. to 2027. Instead, $50,000 was approved to allow for further investigation into alternate uses for the building which could include public washrooms, storage facilities, municipal space and a potential business incubator space. Demolition would have run the city close to $500,000. The property was potentially going to be used for a city hall or Museum Square expansion.

Leatherbarrow said the Tri-Star Liquidation building was purchased for about $3 million and added it is worth looking at keeping it and looking at several uses.

“In the almost four years I have been a councillor we’ve seen many things change in our community and we are hearing a lot of what is on the horizon for the economy. It could be a 10-year plan or a 15-year plan, who knows, but I would hate to tear it down without investigating the potential of this building.”

The motion was second by Coun. Bernia Martin who said she was curious to see if a consultant would look at using the building for municipal staff space or even a new council chamber.

“We are outgrowing this space. I know a motion has come forward to express other options but I would be curious what a consultant would propose for a building we now own. We did issue debt for this, I think it was $2.75 million…and will be asking our community to pay the interest on that debt for the next 19 years, I believe is the amortization on that one.”

The city’s Economic Development Officer said he didn’t know the exact age of the building but it has been around for years, once housing a Woolworth’s department store.

“It looks like it has a full basement to me, 8 or 10 feet in the north end. There is a conveyer belt that does down to the basement used for moving inventory in and out. The building has had a couple of fires over the last decade or so and parts of it have been repaired or replaced.”

He added each floor measures about 11,000 square feet. Mayor Jerry Acchione said he was hesitant to support the motion at first glance, mainly because of his vision of a bigger and better Museum Square as part of Streetscape.

“Considering the needs and wants, I said it probably 300 times yesterday during (the county budget deliberations), we do have to look at things a little different now moving forward. We have this asset in hand and looking at what other uses could come, I am in favour of that.”

Council also added $5,000,000 as a placeholder to the 2027 capital budget forecast for the construction of a new outdoor pool with direction to staff to bring back a report to council with possible locations, costs and funding sources.

The projects identified in the capital budget support the maintenance or replacement of existing assets as well as funding for new or growth-related capital assets. Funding for capital budget projects comes from a variety of sources including a contribution from the operating budget, reserve funds, debt and various capital grants.

Although changes were introduced in 2023 under the strong mayor legislation that shifts the authority of the budget to the head of council, Acchione provided direction to staff to prepare and present the budget for council’s consideration, consistent with the city’s historical budget process. The operating budget process will begin in February 2026, and more information is available at www.cityofwoodstock.ca/budget. The capital budget meeting can be watched at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkMyY9hpktc.