Downtown Reimagined Project Update – July 17, 2026

Another productive week for the Downtown Reimagined Project as watermain and service work kept moving along on Elm Street, west of Forty Mile Creek. That stretch of work is on track to wrap up by the end of the week, despite progress being a little slower this week due to extreme heat and air quality, as well as poor trench conditions.

Next week, the crew will work on watermain installation East of the creek crossing to Mountain Street, and replace 2 sanitary services in the same area.

Downtown Grimsby remains open and vibrant, with the Construction Passport program officially launched this week until September 30 and the Construction StoryWalk running until August 28.

THE 60-SECOND RUN DOWN: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Construction

  • Right now: Watermain and service installation continues on Elm Street, west of Forty Mile Creek. Heat, wildfire smoke advisories, and heavy rock in the trenches have slowed the pace, but crews still expect this section to be done by the end of the week.
  • Week of July 20: Watermain installation begins between Forty Mile Creek and Mountain Street, alongside the replacement of two sanitary services identified during the Town's annual sewer camera (CCTV) inspection.

Events

  • July 13 to Sept 30: Construction Passport rewards shoppers for supporting downtown businesses during construction.
  • Until Aug 28: The Construction StoryWalk continues along the downtown route.

DIGGING DEEPER (FOR THE DETAIL LOVERS)

A LOOK AHEAD

Week of July 20 - Watermain Installation between Mountain Street and Forty Mile Creek

Crews move the watermain installation between Forty Mile Creek and Mountain Street. In the same stretch, two sanitary services will be replaced, flagged during the Town's annual CCTV inspection of the sewer system.

Construction Process:

  • A trench is excavated within the roadway, running parallel to the road, to install the new PVC watermain pipe.
  • Separate trenches, cut perpendicular to the watermain, carry new water service pipes to each property.
  • The new section ties into the pipe already installed beneath Forty Mile Creek.
  • The flagged sanitary services are excavated and replaced within the same work area.
  • The pipe is backfilled and compacted in layers, then tested before connecting to the active system.

What to Expect:

  • Mechanical compaction equipment may cause small, noticeable ground vibrations.
  • Trenches are restored with stone first and full asphalt paving follows once all watermain and service work is done.

Traffic:

  • Work happens during daytime hours only.
  • Elm Street stays open to alternating two-way traffic, with traffic control persons on site.
  • Moving equipment may cause brief, intermittent slowdowns.
  • No detours required at this stage.
  • See traffic plan graphic below.

Click here for the full plan

MEDIA SPOTLIGHT

CHCH News | July 9, 2026

“Grimsby rewards shoppers during downtown construction”

CHCH News highlighted the launch of Downtown Grimsby's Construction Passport, a new loyalty program designed to encourage residents to continue shopping locally while the Downtown Reimagined construction project is underway.

Read the full article here.

A LOOK BACK

Staging & Construction Recap – Week of July 13

  • Watermain and service installation continued on Elm Street, west of Forty Mile Creek.
  • Despite the heat wave, wildfire smoke advisories, and a high volume of large rock in the trenches slowing down the pace, work still continues and is expected to be completed this week.
  • Signage and traffic control remained in place throughout the work zone.

Construction Passport - Now Live

On July 13, the Downtown Grimsby BIA, in partnership with the Town of Grimsby, and the Grimsby Chamber of Commerce officially launched Construction Passport. See In the News below for the launch coverage, and visit the Downtown Grimsby website for more information: downtowngrimsby.com

NEXT STEPS

We recognize that a project of this scale brings temporary changes to daily routines, and we remain committed to providing clear, timely communication throughout construction.

Our goal is to make this process as predictable and manageable as possible while delivering long-term improvements that will benefit residents, businesses, and visitors for generations to come.

Thank you for your continued patience, partnership, and support as we work together to reimagine downtown Grimsby.

STAY CONNECTED

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Questions?

Email DTreimagined@grimsby.ca

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