The temperature may be rising in the Royal City, but city hall is thinking of Christmas decor.
In November 2012, council directed staff to hire a consultant to consider the design, construction and installation of swag lights for Columbia Street.
Many longtime residents have fond recollections of the swag lighting that decorated Columbia Street each Christmas season.
A recent staff report provided council with details and costs for the four options put forward by the consultant: an exact replica of the original swag lights that decorated Columbia Street ($13,785 per fixture); a more ornate version of the historic swag lights ($6,780 per fixture); a modern interpretation of the swag lights ($5,475 per fixture); and an accessorized design including a new crown motif that could be changed to offer seasonal motifs ($7,350 per fixture).
Coun. Bill Harper concurred with a staff recommendation that supported an exact replica of the light swags that once graced Columbia Street.
Staff recommended the installation of two swags at either side of Sixth Street.
Mayor Wayne Wright said he had originally proposed the idea of swag lighting on Columbia Street, but is was concerned about the plan after learning the costs.
He said the costs related to the labour involved from the electrical department to install and fix the lighting could be problematic.
The staff report noted that new street poles would need to be installed to accommodate the swag lights, as the existing poles wouldn't be able to support the load of any swags.
Coun. Jaimie McEvoy said the "exact replica" option is quite a bit more expensive than the "accessorized design" option, which was his preference. He said it's half the cost and also allows the city to switch out the light bulbs and change the colours to suit different occasions.
"You can imagine the possibilities," he said.
The city has allocated $30,000 in this year's capital budget for the project, which would allow the city to buy two swag lights.
The city's electrical utility budget would cover the installation costs, including the poles, bases, foundations and mounting of the swag.
Council tabled the report until its Aug. 26 meeting.
