Paradise orders more trailers to for public works staff displaced by fire

By Mark Squibb

Costs resulting from the disruption caused by the February 2025 fire that shuttered the Paradise Town Hall and public works depot continue to mount.
To accommodate public works staff and equipment, the Town is leasing space at 35 Glencoe Drive in Mount Pearl at a cost of $31,625, HST included, per month. Public works staff are also operating out of a 20-foot office trailer at the Double Ice Complex at a cost of $6,900 per year.
The arrangement has resulted in “supervision, coordination, and operational deficiency,” said Deputy Mayor Kimberley Street. “To improve day to day operations and support staff needs, additional facility space is required at 28 McNamara Drive to consolidate staff function and provide appropriate lunchroom, washroom, and locker space.”
Staff recommended to council that in addition to the officer trailer, a lunch trailer and washroom trailer from Wilcox should also be rented at a cost of $42,421 per year.
“The Town currently has spent approximately $31,200 annually, excluding HST, on trailer rentals that do not fully meet the operation needs,” said Street. “The combined annual cost of the recommended solution is $49,321, HST included, per year.”
Council approved the motion unanimously. Street didn’t say whether the extra costs are being covered by the insurance payout related to the fire at the Town Hall and depot.
Council has committed to building a new depot out of pocket rather than relying on insurance coverage to repair the old depot. A construction start date has not yet been set.