The suggestion that if the Old Brick School building is designated a Provincial Historic Resource, its potential uses become limited and the cost of maintaining it rises sharply, is basically nonsense.
Of course, making changes to the school would requires approval from the Alberta Historical Resources Department and should follow the standards and guidelines (S&G) for the Conservation of Historic Places in Canada. These bureaucratic processes are needed to ensure that the building is protected and its historical character is not compromised.
But Historical Resources never dictates that a building must be restricted to its original use. In fact, town and county council have been told numerous times, if they would read the S&G closely, they will find it to be more flexible than today’s building odes. It simply encourages one to maintain the old and historic appearance as much and as closely as possible.
In my experience restoring the train station, the renovation costs are much the same as other buildings. and if there are additional costs to duplicate historic character, the funding from the Alberta Historical Resources Foundation is there to offset the burden.
One of the few collegiate gothic educational facilities left in the province, Athabasca’s Brick School is particularly unusual for what was a small rural community in the early 20th century. It is one of Athabasca’s most important landmarks and significant to the province’s earliest public school history.
Many people in the Athabasca region feel it is important to preserve it for future generations. Saving this potential historic site is a worthy goal.
Let’s put our thinking hats on and get behind the conservation of the building, and making it fit for any number of new community uses.
Mike Gismondi
