Normally thousands of elementary schoolchildren visit it each year. Now the Little White School is all set to play host to teams of skilled trades people and an experienced heritage-focused architect as they turn the tide on generations of disrepair. This news comes from a group dedicated to the site’s restoration and the local cultural organization that stewards it.
Rob LeLacheur, chair of the Friends of the Little White School Committee, made the major announcement yesterday. A former student at the school, he said that it remains a source of fond memories for him and many others.
“It has always held a special little place in my heart having gone there, being one of our icons in the city,” he began. “I view the project as refurbishing something that’s very important to the past but something that could be very important to our future. I really believe that this is going to be one of the venues — as part of the whole package — that helps attract more and more people to St. Albert.”
For him it remains a unique fixture of the community, one that has touched many people directly, including his own children.
“I think if you looked hard enough you’d be surprised how many people you come across that have some connection to the school. I went last June with my son who was in Grade 1 and what an absolutely wonderful part of the program.”
The restoration project, budgeted at more than $637,000, is expected to start in July. It will take place in two phases: the first to fix and conserve the authenticity of the structure and the second to complete a 33.5-sq.-metre stylistically authentic addition to the back of the building that will provide completely barrier-free accessibility for the first time on any of the city’s historic landmarks. To that end, the basement will also be modified to feature an accessible family washroom.
The Little White School has been a prominent fixture in the community since it first opened its doors for classes in 1948. Maintenance on the facility has waned since it last closed to students in 1987. Its roof was repaired and given fresh new shingles last year but the cracks and chips in the stucco only hint at the deeper issues at hand.
Phase one will tend to the most pressing needs related to the foundation and protection from the elements including windows, waterproofing and weeping tiles. This work is budgeted at $358,960 with prior funding in place from the city’s Community Capital Grant Program, the capital reserves for what is now called Arts and Heritage. The last piece of the puzzle came as a grant from the province’s Community Facility Enhancement Program at the end of last week.
Arts and Heritage executive director Paul Moulton said this restoration will mean more and more people will be able to experience first hand the historical glory of the pearl on the hill.
“Our school programming is continuing to grow. Where I think we will see growth with a better facility is in community use,” he explained, saying that community groups could use it for meetings on evenings and weekends. “There are other things we’re working towards — family programming on weekends during the summer when the farmers’ market is on, those kinds of things.”
It also provides a critical success in the overall heritage sites master plan where all of the buildings can play a significant role in education programming and tourism.
“If we look at this from the big perspective, this is one step towards creating a restored cluster of historic facilities in our community. On its own, it’s great but in a cluster it’s got real potential because then you can go from A to B to C to D and get the whole experience.”
While there will be some interruption of programming, Moulton is clearly enthusiastic.
“It is a terrific feeling. I’ve been here just over a year and really wanted to see us make some big, significant step forward. It may look small to the outside, but from our perspective … it’s the beginning of significant progress. It’s a bit of a domino effect.”
This announcement comes at the same time as another major project is about to get under way at Grain Elevator Park. The estimated $1.7-million contract to Delnor Construction will restore the foundations and repaint the exteriors of both elevators with other work performed on the windows, doors and roofs as well.
Arts and Heritage is also simultaneously embarking on a fundraising drive to secure the remaining $278,000 required for phase two of the Little White School restoration.
