If you have visited the church this week you certainly would have noticed the odour of fresh paint - a sure sign that the end of construction is in sight.

The Well facilities are now essentially complete with all the rooms receiving their first coat of paint. Doors and frames are in place and ceilings, complete with lights and air diffusers are being installed. The new washrooms are ready for flooring which will be followed by the installation of bathroom fixtures. Kitchen equipment and the new gas stove, generously donated by Sean Lundy, our construction manager, will be installed during the week of September 19.

The first phase of the work in the crypt area is now also complete. The finishing of this space will only be done once the best use for this area is determined. With respect to the building systems, new furnaces, including a new heating system for the nave, a new hot water heater and an upgraded electrical system plus a new water service are all in place with final piping and electrical connections underway.

Areas throughout the basement were tested for mould and only the room in the southwest corner had a low level of active mould which has now been corrected. In this room, all portions of the walls showing contamination plus the ceiling have been removed and replaced. Elsewhere in the basement, all areas which showed signs of dampness and water damage have had the wallboard removed and rebuilt with mould resistant materials. A final air test will be conducted to ensure that all is satisfactory once all construction is complete.

The project is scheduled to be substantially complete by the end of September which will allow The Well to start their return to St John's during the month of October. The upgrade of the washrooms on the ground floor will then be done in October. During these renovations, washroom facilities will be made available in The Well. We should be inconvenienced for only one month.

Although there have been no major surprises, there have been a sufficient number of little ones to require that the contingency funds carried in the budgets be used to cover these unexpected costs. Nevertheless, total project costs are essentially within the amounts approved by Vestry last January ($757,000) and within the funding allocations received from the City of Ottawa for The Well work ($505,400).

The quality of the work has been monitored on an ongoing basis by our consultants to ensure that work is in accordance with construction documents and that we are receiving the best value for our money. Final completion of all work is set for the end of October.