Windsor City Council will discuss the future of the Charles Brooks Memorial Peace Fountain at their regular meeting today.
Mayor Drew Dilkens says many of the fountains problems lie underground as the mechanical parts running the Peace Fountain are outdated.
"People see the Peace Fountain that's in the water, but what they don't see are the mechanicals that are behind the scenes and underground. What I've described publicly is that the mechanics running the Peace Fountain, the computer controls, are comparable to a Commodore 64 running the system. We have to go to England to get parts, so we are waiting for those parts to arrive," he stated.
Dilkens says there are three options to resolve the issues with the Peace Fountain.
"The three options in front of city council to deal with the Peace Fountain are a like-for like-replacement, another option has an installation on land putting water out into the bay and an option that's sort of like a ribbon option that goes over the bay. The problem with that one is that it will cost around $20 million, I think council will opt for a like-for-like replacement."
He says of the three options to resolve issues, the like-for-like replacement is the most cost efficient.
"The estimate is between $7 million to $8 million for that like-for-like replacement. None of these options are inexpensive, they all cost money but the like-for -like is the least expensive of the three options, they are expensive options anyway you cut it, but don't forget that these are 50 year investments, you are making the investment once."
The three options considered by council are a like-for-like replacement, an on-shore system of water jets that stream into the bay and an arch that goes over the bay and sprinkles water.
When an option is approved, final engineering and designs will be made for the project.
The Peace Fountain was installed in 1978.