A new council is being sworn in Monday night, and once they are able to meet again in person, they will do so in upgraded council chambers.

Along with new paint, carpeting and gallery seating, improvements include audio visual upgrades to improve streaming or recording of council proceedings. Gallery seats have been equipped with power tables so occupants can plug in devices, while a new space for media has been created, that includes a fully connected media box. Changes to the room configuration have also been made to improve accessibility and enable distancing, and HVAC system upgrades will improve heating, cooling.

With the exception of a few minor changes, the city says Council Chambers have not been renovated since 1981. The upgrades had been planned for five years but it wasn’t until the pandemic and recent election, that there was enough of a suspension in council activities to undertake the work. The funding for the renovations was allocated by the city’s Comprehensive Building Maintenance Reserve. Funds that are partially set aside for replacing or renewing aging infrastructure like the council chambers.