Work underway to help determine building foundations for Orillia Recreation Facility

Geotechnical work to help determine the design and construction of building foundations for the Orillia Recreation Facility at 255 West St. S. is starting this week.

Cambium Inc., a geotechnical and environmental engineering and consulting firm, will be on site drilling boreholes in the ground at various locations to determine the type, texture, and strength of the different soil layers, as well as determining the depth of the groundwater table. The geotechnical investigation is permitted under the Site’s Certificate of Property Use.  

“With this geotechnical work underway, we are one step closer to making the Orillia Recreation Facility a reality,” said Mayor Steve Clarke. “This community has waited a long time for this project to get off the ground and Council and staff are committed to making it our number one priority.”

Initially, Cambium will be drilling the boreholes within the footprint of the proposed recreation facility. Following that work, additional boreholes will be drilled in other areas of the site designated for site naturalization. The work is anticipated to take four weeks to complete, depending on weather. 

Soil samples from the boreholes are collected at specific depths and reviewed by technicians on site, as well as in a lab to determine the soil properties. Information about the soil type, texture, and strength, as well as the groundwater level at the site, is required to determine the type of foundation needed to support the building and ensure there will be no settlement of the structure. The easiest and most cost effective way to obtain this information is by drilling boreholes and sampling the soil at different depths.

For more information on the Orillia Recreation Facility project visit www.orillia.ca/recreationfacility. A Frequently Asked Questions document on the geotechnical work being completed is also attached and is available online.

The City of Orillia is a city of 31,000 people in the heart of Ontario’s Lake Country on the shores of Lake Couchiching and Lake Simcoe. Visit our website at orillia.ca.

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Andrew Schell
Director of Environmental Services
705-325-7551
aschell@orillia.ca

Jennifer Ruff
Manager of Communications
705-325-8929
705-238-9209 (cell)
jruff@orillia.ca