Skip to content

Does the province consider the Meadowview Lutheran Church old?

County of Barrhead councillors delay decision on funding request from the Meadowview Lutheran Historical site until it can be determined if church is deemed as a Provincial Historical Resource
Preugschas-meadowview
Coun. Walter Preugschas said he was in support the Meadowview Lutheran Historical society request for funding to help them repair the Meadowview Lutheran Church's doors saying he

The Meadowview Lutheran Historical Society might have an uphill battle in convincing County of Barrhead councillors to help them restore the church located about 30 southwest of Barrhead.

President Dawn-Marie Branden and Celeste Chaytors, treasurer, appeared before council as part of its May 19 video conference meeting to ask for $10,000 to help the society restore the church built in 1935 to its former glory.

The money would allow the society to replace the front doors on the building. The renovation is part of a longer list of repairs the society hopes to complete this year that includes the exterior painting of the building as well as the replacement of the fence surrounding the yard. The other repairs are estimated to cost over $30,000, while the restoration of the doors is estimated to be upwards of $7,000. The society has one quote from a contractor for $6,702.15.

The church is no longer home to a congregation however every year the society hosts an annual Christmas service and the society rents out the building and grounds to various events, such as weddings.

The society also maintains the cemetery that is on the grounds.

"Because we want to do it to historical standards, of course, everything is more costly," Branden said, noting the society has raised $7,000 for the project.

Later in the meeting, councillors delayed making a decision citing the need for more information.

Although the society said the replacement of the fence and exterior painting can wait, Branden said they can't delay replacing the doors any longer, noting that in addition to the condition of the doors, the header and footer also have considerable rot damage.

Reeve Doug Drozd asked if the society is eligible for casino funding.

Branden believes they are, but added the society's name could be an obstacle.

"We were told when we were getting our application together we might have a tougher time because churches are not typically part of the casino pool," she said.

Chaytors added Alberta Gaming Liquor and Cannabis (AGLC) suggested the society change their name as they are not affiliated with a church.

But that is not something that they are willing to do, she said, noting that would create other difficulties.

"We applied and added a detailed explanation that we are not a church," Branden said, noting they are still waiting to find out if their application was successful.

In the accompanying letter to the council, Branden clarified that the society wasn't looking to get on the charity casino list but a raffle.

Chaytors also noted for the painting and fence replacement projects the society hopes to apply for a Community Facility Enhancement Program (CFEP) grant.

CFEP is a provincial program that provides financial assistance on a matching basis to acquire, build, purchase, repair, renovate, upgrade or expand sports, recreational, cultural or other related public-use community facilities. It is a matching grant meaning the society would have to raise an additional $8,000, assuming they don't have to use their existing funds for the doors.

If they don't receive the grant, Branden said they hope to lower the cost of the project by doing a lot of the work themselves.

Coun. Darrell Troock said he did not want to get the society's hopes up adding traditionally they haven't supported similar requests.

"Since I've been on the council we've said no to these types of requests from churches at least a dozen times," he said. "To set a precedent like this ... we've got a lot of churches and community halls, I don't know if there are enough tax dollars to cover them all."

Coun. Walter Preugschas countered noting this was not any church or community hall.

"Historical protection and development in the county are valuable. Not only churches," he said. "Other sites could be developed, identifying stories associated with that history and this isn't just isn't a discussion about the Meadowview Lutheran Historical Society but part of a much broader conversation."

Preugschas the municipality's representative on GROWTH Alberta, one of the province’s nine Regional Economic Development Alliances (REDA), who are working on a project documenting the history of the Grizzly Trail in an attempt to increase tourism in the region.

County manager Debbie Oyarzun noted that if the council granted the request they had several funds they could access, suggesting the Recreation Organizational Reserve.

Reeve Doug Drozd supported granting the request.

"I think it is important for us to bolster local churches, especially when they are attached to cemeteries," he said. "If we support these types of organizations now and keep them viable. They do a lot of work that the county would have to take over if they were to dissolve."

He added neighbouring municipalities, such as Woodlands County, have grants available.

"Neerlandia has four or five churches, Tiger Lily has two or three more ... our job is to look after roads and the like," Troock interjected. "For me to use tax dollars for something the society can access other funding like gaming ... I can't in good conscious support something like this."

Coun. Ron Kleinfeldt, Coun. Dennis Nanninga and Coun. Bill Lane would not support the request.

Nanninga and Kleinfeldt voicing the need for the council to come up with a policy on how to deal with funding requests from not-for-profit organizations, instead of doing it piecemeal.

Coun. Marvin Schatz said he wasn't worried about opening the flood gates.

"This has to be built up to historical guidelines and I don't think there are a lot of projects that meet that criteria in the County of Barrhead," he said.

Oyarzun then asked if the church was designated as a "Provincial Historical Resource" and as such may be eligible for additional funding.

Chaytors and Branden were not certain.

Council then agreed to table the decision until it could be determined if the site was a Provincial Historical Resource.

Barry Kerton, TownandCountryToday.com

 


Barry Kerton

About the Author: Barry Kerton

Barry Kerton is the managing editor of the Barrhead Leader, joining the paper in 2014. He covers news, municipal politics and sports.
Read more



Comments

push icon
Be the first to read breaking stories. Enable push notifications on your device. Disable anytime.
No thanks