Driving range put on hold until St. Paul golf course finalizes society status

The anticipated work on the St. Paul Golf Course’s driving range project is stalled.

St. Paul town council decided to halt work on the project until the golf course is given society status, which will give town council grant options to complete it.

The contractor was ready to begin work in 2019, but needed the full cost of the project funded before it could begin.

That meant the town would have to allocate another $400,000 from a future budget in additional to the $300,000 set aside in 2018 in reserves.

Mayor Maureen Miller said the driving range is still a priority for town council.

“We are just in the final stages of reaching our society status. So we just might have other avenues to be able to acquire the same result,” said Miller.

“We’re presently sitting as with everybody else in the province with no budget, and no foresight really into next year, and securing that money out of next year’s budget – because you couldn’t do one without the other.”

By having a driving range, the Town hopes golfers could be more attracted to the course.

They hope by reaching society status that grant funding will be available to do the driving range.

Depending on grants, work could be done next year.

The Town of St. Paul purchased the golf course’s assets in 2016.