South Frontenac Township Open House

December 2 was the official opening of the newly-reno’d Township hall and offices in Sydenham. At 5:30, Mayor Vandewal cut the ribbon, and the public was invited in to tour the newly-renovated premises. Guests were taken through the building in small groups. The street view of the building appears virtually unchanged, yet architects Colbourne & Kembel have done an excellent job of fitting many more offices on the back of the building, without compromising their attractiveness and sense of space and light. The basement level where the planning department is located seems much brighter. It has a new entrance, and both private and public areas appear to be comfortable and functional. Throughout, the former former back wall of the original stone building has been exposed wherever possible.

The new offices feature many green initiatives: new energy efficient heating/cooling systems are used in conjunction with existing systems; there are new LED light fixtures to reduce hydro costs and low flow toilets to reduce water consumption. To conserve energy, each room is equipped with lights with vacancy sensors that turn them off when there's no movement, and blinds are installed on exterior windows to save on air conditioning costs in summer.

Following the tour, guests were treated to sandwiches and snacks in the spacious entry hall.