Rossland’s United Church has received a Columbia Basin Trust grant to support planning a restoration of the Red Roof Church.
In the fall, the St. Andrew’s United Church applied for a grant from the Trust to develop a Heritage Conservation Plan and received $5,300.
“We have consultants coming in the end of the month, Feb. 26 to Mar. 2, … to help us develop this plan and guide us,” said Brenda Hooper, chair of the St. Andrew’s facilities opportunity committee.
Hooper says that once the plan is in place the hope is to secure a second grant from the Trust to get the work done.
But the deadline for the next Built Heritage Grants program is March 16, so there isn’t a lot of time.
“I’m just in the process of talking to contractors and that kind of stuff, trying to do as much work as we can ahead of time,” said Hooper.
But it’s hard to plan too far in advance of the consultants’ arrival.
Asked if the plan was to have most of the work done over the summer, Hooper said that contractors tend to be busy over the summer, and one contractor had said he wouldn’t be able to do the work until November.
With the Seven Summits Centre for Learning occupying the space over the school year, that could pose a problem.
“First things first, and that’s figuring out what we need to do and then when it can be done and what kind of funding [is available],” said Hooper. “Maybe with a graduated approach because November, the kids are in school then.”
Until the consultants arrive to plan the restoration, Hooper’s not sure what all the project will include, but she did mention that the heating and electrical systems may need to be replaced.
