District of Muskoka council has approved Fowler Construction to handle the expansion of the Rosewarne Landfill in Bracebridge.
Fowler, based in Bracebridge just down the street from the landfill, bid $989,394 for the project, which was $1.5 million less than the only other bidder.
They were also the successful bidders to create cell two in 2019.
In a March 20 report to council, Renee Recoskie, director of waste management and environmental services, explains the facility, located at 1062 Rosewarne Dr., is the only active landfill in Muskoka. When it was opened in Nov. 2016, she adds it was designed with enough space for nine cells and 950,000 tonnes of capacity.
Recoskie says cell three, which was built in early 2022, is expected to reach capacity by late 2024. She explains a new cell is built when the previous one is nearing capacity.
She explains that work on cell four will start on March 25, 2024, and is expected to finish by early May 2024.
It comes as the district continues to push towards hitting a 60 percent waste diversion target. Currently, Muskoka is at 35 percent.
During the Feb. 2024 Rosewarne Landfill Public Liaison Committee meeting, James Steele, commissioner of engineering and public works, said Muskoka is “at the lower end of the spectrum among diverters,” adding many municipalities are above the 60 percent mark.