Residents of the RM of Brokenshell are continuing their efforts to save Trossachs Hall, with renovations work set to begin this summer if everything goes well.
Residents of the RM of Brokenshell are continuing their efforts to save Trossachs Hall, with renovations work set to begin this summer if everything goes well.
Kristin Caldwell of the Brokenshell Parks and Rec board gave an update on the hall during the annual ratepayers meeting and supper held Apr. 17 at the Trossachs Hall.
If work is not done to refurbish the hall, it will be declared as unsafe within the next five years, said Caldwell, with the biggest challenge to lift the hall and replace the basement.
"The basement is a cinder-block wall, and we want to replace the basement with nine-foot wooden walls," she explained, noting that among other things, they lose a lot of heat with the current walls.
The goal currently is to do the replacement of the basement this July, along with starting some of the other renovations, such as making the kitchen bigger, moving the washrooms too the west end of the hall. The stage area in the main hall will be removed to provide more room, and the electrical system and heating all has to be replaced as well.
Other options were considered as well, such as building a new hall, or moving this hall to an alternate location, but "lifting up the hall is the best option we have right now," said Caldwell, with an estimated cost of repairs around $117,000.
They did get a $50,000 matching funds grant, with the matching funds to be provided when the organization provides proof that they've raised the equivalent of $50,000 for their share of the grant. Right, the group is short by about $15,000 of matching the grant, but it doesn't have to be in cash; Caldwell noted it can be done with supplies or labour volunteered on the project itself.
The deadline to have everything done for the grant program is December of 2013, she added, "so it's critical we get this work done this summer so we don't have a problem meeting the deadline."
The Parks and Rec board recently had a raffle as a fundraiser, but they only sold about 1,247 tickets out of 2,500; even with this disappointment, said Caldwell, "the board continues to work hard."
An upcoming fundraiser will be a steak fry on Saturday, May 5, and a plea went out for other ways the money can be raised.
"If you can help in any way with donations or volunteering, you'll help ensure the hall is here for future generations. It's a big goal and we want to make sure it happens," she said.
The proceeds from the supper for the ratepayers meeting went to the Parks and Rec board, towards the hall. Also, one of the door prizes, a jacket from an equipment dealer, was auctioned off with the proceeds to go to the hall as well.
