Gazebo revitalization in Downtown Bolton a success

July 28, 2022 · 0 Comments

By Zachary Roman

After much planning and hard work, the refresh of the gazebo in Downtown Bolton is complete.

On July 16, a ribbon-cutting ceremony was held at the gazebo on the corner of Queen and Sterne streets to officially commemorate its completion. Caledon Mayor Allan Thompson was in attendance, as well as members of Caledon Council, the groups responsible for the gazebo’s refresh, and members of the community at large.

The improvements to Bolton’s downtown gazebo were made possible by the Bolton Kin, Bolton Business Improvement Area, and Downtown Bolton Revitalization Task Force.

Howard Phee of the Bolton Kin was the project manager for the gazebo and said the Kin got involved after they were asked to help with the gazebo’s revitalization. He said there were a surprising amount of challenges in what might seem on the outside as a relatively simple project.

First, an architect and contracting company had to be consulted to work on the new gazebo’s design. Once plans were complete, they had to be sent to the Town of Caledon and Toronto and Region Conservation Authority to receive the proper approval. After permission was granted, the old gazebo had to be torn down, and special care had to be taken to remove old electrical wires.

Next, the foundation of the new gazebo was completed and its frame was built. Unfortunately, pandemic-related supply shortages then came into play.

Phee said a steel roof was hard to come by, and the steel roof that’s now on the gazebo actually only came in just a few days before the gazebo’s opening.

“That took a lot of work to get that done on time. We actually didn’t get that done until the Wednesday prior to the Saturday for the ribbon cutting,” said Phee. “We had to string all the new wires and get the clock working again… it was a challenge but we made our ribbon-cutting deadline on the sixteenth.”

The gazebo is lit by timed lights so it can be enjoyed in the evenings too, and Phee said he’s seen many people enjoying the revitalized gazebo so far at all times of the day. He said it’s a nice showpiece for Downtown Bolton and he’s happy the project is complete.

“It was a great project. I’m glad it’s over, glad it was successful. We had a lot of people there for the ribbon-cutting,” said Phee, adding the new gazebo is so much more pleasant to look at, sit down in and enjoy.

According to a Town media release, the gazebo advances the goals set out in the Bolton Downtown Revitalization plan, which was a plan that came into existence as a result of the Town of Caledon’s 2020-2030 Economic Development Strategy.

“This is another exciting step towards reimagining Downtown Bolton,” said Thompson in the release. “A big thank you to the Bolton Kin for their leadership in completing this project. We continue to work collaboratively to transform Bolton’s historic downtown core to serve our residents today and in the years to come.”

Some other projects Caledon residents might recognize that are part of Downtown Bolton’s revitalization are the new art installation under the Queen St. Bridge and the Bolton Bicentennial and Taste of Bolton events.