$150K for backup generator at WFCU Centre approved by Windsor city council

The City of Windsor earmarked $150,000 to outfita backup generator at the WFCU Centre as a contingency against a potentially embarrassing power outage during the upcoming FINA swimming championships.

City council approved the purchase of electrical switch gear for a generator at Monday's council meeting, after power went out three times at the arena within the past month.

Two of those outages were related to Hydro One operations that were beyond EnWin's control, Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens said. The third was related to a tornado that knocked out power to portions of the city.

The $150,000 will come from remaining funds in the 2012-2015 contingency capital budget.

Dilkens told reporters he wants to make sure nothing goes wrong during broadcasts of the FINA World Swimming Championships, scheduled for later this year.

He made a similar statementin a report to council that reads, in part:

Both [the FINA World Swimming Championships and the Mastercard Memorial Cup] are significant events where the city's reputation could be harmed without the ability to provide backup power. In an effort to eliminate the effect a power outage would cause to either the of the scheduled events, and to any future events (sporting or otherwise) at the WFCU, it is recommended that council approve the installation of the required electrical equipment.