By Angela Brown

Town to meet with individuals opposed to removing church’s heritage designation

Sep 5, 2018 | 5:00 PM

The Town of Battleford plans to meet with several residents who wrote to the town in opposition of removing St. Vital Church’s designation as a municipal heritage property.

The town was looking at de-designating the site as the first step toward future plans to demolish the building, located on 20 Street, due to its dilapidated state.

During a public hearing Tuesday no one spoke up to object to the proposal, however the town received two letters from individuals opposed. 

CAO John Enns-Wind said both letters focused on the historical significance of the former church, which he said is “not in dispute.” Dating back to 1883, the structure received heritage designation in 1985. 

“This really hasn’t been about the historical significance or not,” Enns-Wind told council. “It’s just the condition of the building, and what are appropriate measures that we can [take]. For anything to be fixed, it takes money. And it’s going to take a lot of money for this.” 

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He said one preliminary figure the town received from a contractor to restore the structure would be about $800,000 as a start.

Poor condition

Enns-Wind said some of the reasons administration first brought the issue before council are based on a report completed in 2010, as well as further information it received since then.

“The church shows obvious signs of years of neglect — not just one or two years,” he said. “There are a lot of structural concerns that are the result of water infiltration.” 

He added new shingling installed in 2011 has made a difference, but “not enough of a difference.”

Amongst the problems with the structure are severe water damage impacting the roof, ceiling and floor. 

“The walls are actually starting to become more like an accordion where you can see them buckling outwards,” Enns-Wind said.

Administration will meet with the individuals who submitted the two letters against the proposal, along with the Battleford and District Museum And Heritage Board chairperson and the Fred Light Museum manager in the near future.  

Enns-Wind said the town will have a couple of options after that. 

“At that time if they still object, then council can either not de-designate it, or we can go to a mediation board chaired by the Heritage Conservation Branch in Regina,” he said.

Angela.brown@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @battlefordsNOW

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