Cost jumps $2M for new animal shelter and multi-purpose facility in Brampton

Building a new animal shelter, environmental education centre and multi-purpose facility in Brampton will cost $2 million more than initially thought, bringing the project’s price tag to more than $5.5 million.

Brampton City Council has been working on bringing a new facility to Brampton that will be home to a new Brampton Animal Services Shelter among several other groups including the Credit Valley Conservation Authority, Centre for Community Energy Transformation, and the Post Traumatic Growth Association.

Funding of $3.5 million to build the multi-purpose facility was included in the 2023 city budget, but the cost of the project has jumped by another $2 million according to a new report.

The facility was originally planned as a standalone animal shelter, and including the additional space for the other groups in the project was proposed by  Coun. Michael Palleschi. The funding shortfall is due to “an expanded project scope” which includes additional square footage for the Environmental Education Centre, and spaces for both the Centre for Community Energy Transformation and the Post Traumatic Growth Association, the report reads.

Requesting the additional funds followed a bid process that saw two submissions, with the lowest coming in higher than the initial project budget of $3.5 million.

Brampton Animal Services has been struggling with capacity issues and a lower number of prospective pet owners coming to the shelter. The city said kennels were ” completely full” in July with some dogs forced to share shelter space.

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There has also been an increase in abandoned puppies by what the city calls “backyard breeders” and city staff have been pushing for tougher animal protection rules across the province.

Along with the shelter, the facility will also be home to the Post Traumatic Growth Association, a nonprofit supporting veteran, first responders, and law enforcement members, and the Centre for Community Energy Transformation, which is dedicated to promoting a low-carbon future in Ontario.

Once completed the facility “will provide expanded medical care for pets and wildlife, along with public education programs,” the city says. The project is anticipated to wrap construction in the fourth quarter of 2028.