Watermain tie-in work advances Pelican Park Project

Tim Brody - Editor

Residents in the Ethel Street, 6th Avenue, Lake Street, and South Street areas experienced a water disruption Sept. 17 and 18 as construction work was undertaken for Phase 2 of watermain tie-in work for the Pelican Park Project, a project the Municipality of Sioux Lookout says is, “a critical upgrade to allow the Municipality of Sioux Lookout to grow and prosper from new developments to the south.”
The Municipality of Sioux Lookout shared, “Phase 1 of the work, completed earlier this summer, focused on replacing aging sanitary sewers and watermains along Fifth Avenue between Wellington Street and Bay Street. This stage also included reconnecting services to residents and businesses, installing temporary water supply to maintain uninterrupted service, preparing the alignment for subsequent phases, and restoring the roadway to a base asphalt surface. Phase 2, now underway, is centered on extending these installations and tying in the new watermain, south of Bay Street toward Ethel Street. This work involves critical connections, flushing, and commissioning of the system, which requires short-term service interruptions for affected customers. To minimize disruption, the overall project has been deliberately broken into phases to help maintain traffic flow and access in the area. Advance notice has been provided to residents and businesses for all planned shutdowns.”
The Municipality said the Pelican Park Project is, “A major municipal infrastructure investment designed to modernize water and wastewater services in Sioux Lookout south of Wellington Street. “The project includes upgrading the Pelican Park Lift Station, installing twin 150 mm HDPE forcemains across Pelican Lake to provide redundancy, constructing a new sanitary trunk sewer along Fifth Avenue and Ethel Street, and replacing older watermains that date back to the 1940s. “Road and surface restoration is also part of the contract. Phase 2 tie-in works are currently underway, while Phase 3, involving directional drilling under Pelican Lake and along Ethel Street, is scheduled to begin in early October.”
Construction is expected to continue through October, with substantial completion of the Pelican Park project anticipated by the end of the 2025 construction season (end of Nov 2025).
The Municipality further stated, “Along Fifth Avenue, the scope includes replacing sanitary, storm, and water infrastructure, reconnecting commercial and residential services, and reconstructing the road structure. This visible surface work is directly tied to the broader upgrades and is essential to link the new sanitary trunk and watermains into the existing system.”
The Municipality explained, “The Pelican Park Lift Station and associated forcemains are critical assets within Sioux Lookout’s wastewater collection system, serving a large portion of the community. By installing new forcemains under Pelican Lake, upgrading the aging infrastructure, and rerouting flows through a new sanitary trunk sewer, the Municipality is improving system reliability, building redundancy to protect against failures, and creating capacity to support both existing customers and future residential and commercial growth. This is a critical upgrade to allow the Municipality of Sioux Lookout to grow and prosper from new developments 
to the south.”
“The Municipality appreciates the patience and cooperation of residents, businesses, and visitors while this work is underway. Construction always brings temporary inconvenience, but the long-term outcome will be more reliable water and wastewater service, upgraded roads, and a stronger infrastructure base to support Sioux Lookout’s future growth and quality of life,” the Municipality concluded.