Summary#
Montréal city council unanimously adopted a position in favour of awarding Tessier Récréo-Parc inc. a contract to modernize the Salamandre play area in Mount Royal Park. The agglomeration council makes the final decision at a later meeting. The goal, according to city staff, is to improve safety and access to the play area.
- The proposed contract covers replacing outdated play equipment and worn safety surfaces, adding inclusive equipment and improving paths, planting trees, and using recycled materials for at least 50% of the new infrastructure.
- The proposed contract price is $667,857.23, taxes included. The resolution also authorizes budgets for contingencies, variable quantities and related costs, bringing the maximum expense to $959,946.14, taxes included.
- Tessier Récréo-Parc inc. was the lowest compliant bidder in a public call for tenders with five bids. All five bids were compliant.
What it means for you#
- Park users: The work is planned for the Salamandre play area in Mount Royal Park. City staff’s schedule anticipates site work starting in September 2026 and the modernized area opening in June 2027; these are planned dates, not a guarantee.
- Children and families: The work includes inclusive play equipment and improved paths. The decision does not set eligibility rules or guarantee that every part of the area will be accessible to every child.
- Taxpayers: The resolution authorizes spending up to the stated maximum. It does not itself create a new borrowing bylaw.
Money#
The maximum authorized expense is $959,946.14, taxes included; the materials give no separate estimate of the final amount that will be spent.
- This includes the $667,857.23 contract, plus $133,571.45 for contingencies, $100,178.58 for variable quantities and $58,338.88 for related costs.
- The net amount after tax rebates is $876,558.78. City staff say it will be financed through borrowing bylaw RCG 22-032 and is provided for in the city’s 2026–2035 capital program. The planned allocation is about $438,000 in each of 2026 and 2027.
- The contract price was 13.6% above the city’s control estimate. Staff attribute most of that difference to an estimate that was too low for the new EPDM safety surface.
What is unclear#
- The materials do not state the contract’s duration or how much of the additional authorized budgets will be needed.
- They do not give detailed design specifications or explain how accessibility will be assessed.
Case for#
- City staff describe the existing equipment and safety surfaces as deteriorated, with damaged ropes, missing climbing holds and removed equipment.
- Replacing worn surfaces and equipment may address the safety concerns staff identify.
- Inclusive equipment, improved paths and tree planting are part of the planned work, alongside the requirement for at least 50% recycled materials in new infrastructure.
Case against#
- The maximum expense is substantially above the city’s estimate, even though staff say the lowest bid reflects market prices.
- The contingency and other additional budgets give room for costs beyond the base contract, but the materials do not show how much will ultimately be used.
- The materials do not explain how the city will determine whether the finished area meets its accessibility goals.