General News

New office for Faraday Township landfill

June 24, 2020

June 24, 2020

By Mike Riley
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

At the Township of Faraday council meeting on June 3, it was revealed that the township will be replacing the existing office building at the Faraday landfill with a new modular construct by Earl Bowers Contracting in Bancroft.
Dawn Switzer, the clerk and treasurer of Faraday Township, requested three quotations from local contractors on May 14 as per the township’s procurement policy by-law #15-2019. The respondents were Beacon Construction with a bid of $34,960 plus HST, Crown Construction with a bid of $21,850 plus HST and Earl Bowers Contracting with a bid of $19,462 plus HST. The recommendation put forth on Switzer’s landfill building quotation report was that council accept the quotation from Earl Bowers Contracting for the supply and build of a 12-by-12 foot office building.
During the council meeting, before the bid was discussed, Councillor Bowers excused himself from the meeting for a conflict of interest, as Earl Bowers is his distant cousin. Councillor Green brought forth the motion to adopt the Earl Bowers bid, Mayor Purcell seconded it, and it was carried.
Earl Bowers Contracting specializes in building modular construction buildings like homes and offices. Bernard Desjardins, communications coordinator with the Canadian Homebuilders Association says there are four significant benefits of modular construction.
“[They] are the rapid completion of builds, protection of materials from the weather, superior quality of product and the environmental benefits associated with high levels of energy efficiency and waste and emissions reduction. Most of this has to do with outstanding control of the construction process in the factory. Builders in Canada are using modules for a full range of building and occupancy types; from single family homes and multi-storey residential complexes to offices, hotels and medical facilities for example,” he says. “We find that the benefits of modular construction are not well known among the general public. These buildings meet building codes, in most cases far exceeding code requirements. They are of superior quality, they are energy efficient and can be constructed and installed quickly and efficiently.”
Earl Bowers Contracting has been in business for over 35 years, and Switzer says the new landfill office will be built once the company is available to start the building process.
“The new building will replace the existing office at the landfill,” she says.