Battleford Town Hall. (Tyler Marr/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Tyler Marr

BUILDING THE FUTURE

Town Hall rehabilitation about ‘community building’ as public consultation underway

Oct 23, 2019 | 5:00 PM

Battleford Town Hall was built in 1912 and included a European style opera house on the upper floor.

It was used for school plays, high school graduations, dances and other community gatherings. The walls were built on a 25-degree angle and the corners were 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 insulated with horsehair to absorb the shock on people’s feet.

But 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.

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

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

An update on this process was provided to council Tuesday evening by Laura Plosz of Group2 Architecture and Interior Design. This firm was approved by town council at a meeting in August.

“It is really about community building, that is what this is intended to be. And by doing the [public consultation] with the community …. we feel it allows a lot of pieces to be brought forward,” the architect and owner said.

The firm is gathering feedback on how to use the top floor as either an opera house or a second option.

Group2 was present at the Operun and gathered feedback from the public. Given the high number of youth, Plosz said they were able to connect with young families — a demographic often difficult to pin down and consult.

The first stakeholder meeting took place on Oct. 10. Over 25 people who represented a wide variety of groups attended for three hours. Participants were quizzed on what town hall meant to them and their desire for the building.

Plosz said many spoke to the history of the building and a desire to preserve this, the importance of making it accessible to all, and place for both community and business. Others spoke to how it needs to recognize the shared history of the region’s Indigenous and settler populations.

Attendees were guided through a paper dolling exercise and asked to be architects and interior designers. This data was collected by the firm.

A public consultation period is planned for Nov. 6 at Town Hall. It will be a come and go affair as the firm wants to gather as much public feedback as possible. A second stakeholder session will then take place using all this new information before a second public feedback event in earlier December. At this time, potential floor plans for the opera house and a second potential option are likely to be presented.

A third stakeholder session will take place in early January before a more robust business plan and recommendation is brought before council later in the month.

While the information was welcomed by lawmakers, some questioned how the stakeholders were selected and quizzed administration on why more councillors could not take part.

“If we have too many councillors show up, it becomes a conflict on interest … at the end of the day, they [Group2] make a recommendation to council and council decides how it is acted on,” CAO John Enns-Wind said.

“If all of council participates, it may diminish the sense of ownership people have over the recommendation,” he added, welcoming them all to the public session.

Mayor Ames Leslie also chimed in, stressing how the initiative is being spearheaded by the opera house committee and not the town or council of Battleford.

“I know we all want to be part of it, but it is our jobs to decide what is best for the town in January,” he explained.

—

tyler.marr@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @JournoMarr