Battleford Town Hall was built in 1912. (Tyler Marr/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Tyler Marr

PRESERVING HISTORY

Lawmakers approve group to begin town hall rehabilitation consultations

Aug 21, 2019 | 9:00 AM

Lawmakers in Battleford have selected a group to undertake public consultation for the rehabilitation and renewal of town hall.

In 2018, $200,000 was authorized by council to consultant the public on what they would want to see in a renewed building and how to best use the top floor.

Built in 1912, the beloved to be French-Historimus style building includes a European Style Opera House on the upper floor, a three-brick steel coated vault and three-brick jail cell below the vault.

It currently only houses town administration, who take up just 40 per cent of the building between the main floor and basement.

In October 1965, fire struck and gutted the opera house and main floor. The administrative offices were rebuilt but the opera house was not due to costs.

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Back in the day, the opera house was used for school plays, high school graduations, dances and other community gatherings. The walls are built on a 25-degree angle and the corners are rounded to provide excellent acoustics.

In its time, agenda documents said it was quite elegant, with three ceiling chandeliers and a bow-shaped stage with red velveteen curtains. A sculptured white metal ceiling added elegance when coupled with the soft glow and sparkle of the chandeliers. The hardwood floor was insulted with horsehair to absorb shock on people’s feet.

In 2012, a former mayor spearheaded a campaign to restore the opera house space as a venue for artists. That year and in the years to follow, some rehabilitation has occurred. The top floor was gutted, the boiler and roof were replaced, new windows were installed and the walls were framed and the tin ceiling tiles were taken off and refinished.

Before this work between 2009 and 2016, nothing has happened to since 1985 due to a lack of funding and an agreement on how to proceed.

The Opera House Committee, which has started to fundraise to preserve the house, is waiting for direction from lawmakers on how to proceed. However, they are not ready to move forward without clear direction.

The town asked groups to submit proposals and a business design. They asked the space to have room for administration and council chambers and two designs for the top floor. These can be how to conserve the space as an opera house or have to use it for a different purpose that meets the needs of the community.

CAO John Enns-Wind said six proposals were received. Two were brought in and interviewed by a committee that had members from the Opera House Committee, council and one at large.

The second group was selected as Coun. Susan McLean Tady said they gave a much more rounded approach to the entire process and “seemed to check all the boxes were looking at.”

The proposed price from the group for the project is $98,115 plus a $20,000 contingency for further engagement and stakeholder consultations if needed.

A report is expected to come back to council on or before March 9, 2020.

—

tyler.marr@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @JournoMarr