Building Issues Result in Legal Proceedings

Lac Ste. Anne County staff moved into the newly constructed administration building in the fall of 2017. Around that time, slab heaving and drywall cracking were observed. These issues were investigated by Professional Engineers who then isolated likely causes. Since then, the County has experienced an exacerbation of these problems.

To protect the County’s interests, the County initiated a lawsuit against the parties involved in the project execution, design, and construction of the administration building. The objective of this lawsuit was to obtain financial recovery from the parties responsible for this situation to offset the cost implications to the County.

At the December 15, 2023, Lac Ste. Anne County Council regular meeting, Council passed a motion to accept a settlement offer of $8,456,000 for the Administration Building lawsuit, made following a mediation process and as recommended by legal counsel.

Important Update — January 2, 2024

On December 15, 2023, Council passed a motion to accept a settlement offer of $8,456,000 for the Administration Building lawsuit, made following a mediation process and as recommended by legal counsel.

Lac Ste. Anne County will invest the total amount in a secure growth savings account while evaluating options for the Administration Building until further Council decisions are made regarding this matter.

Important Update — July 18, 2023

In the May 17 update on the Administration Building, the County reported that it had made the difficult but necessary decision to replace the Administration building.

Questions relating to the location, design, size, construction, and related matters have arisen since then. As a point of clarification, the only decision taken by the County has been to replace the Administration Building. It was the first decision; no other decisions have been made, and planning has not begun.

Important Update — May 17, 2023

The County has made the difficult but necessary decision to replace the Administration Building. This follows extensive expert investigations and assessments, which unfortunately have concluded that repairing the present damage and maintaining the integrity of the building is not feasible. This is very disappointing news we had hoped to avoid. We are now forced to start the process for a new building to ensure we have a quality building to support the important services the County provides.

To protect the County’s interests, the County has initiated a lawsuit against the parties involved in the project execution, design, and construction of the Administration Building. The public is reminded that, based on advice from the County’s Legal Counsel handling the lawsuit, limited information can be shared until the lawsuit is concluded.

Lac Ste. Anne County Council and Administration sincerely thank ratepayers for their continued understanding and cooperation as they work to bring this matter to conclusion. The County will provide periodic updates on the matter on its website and social media channels.