The Okanagan Historical Society presented a petition to the school board seeking to preserve the Downtown Activity Centre as one of the city’s few remaining historic brick buildings.
Rolin presented a petition with 1,259 signatures to the board asking them to preserve the building, formerly Salmon Arm Elementary School.
In her presentation, Rolin said unfortunately the Historical Society is unable to spearhead the project, but she hopes representatives from the City of Salmon Arm, the school district and other interested community partners, as well as the historical society, could sit down together, form a committee and find a way to save the old school.
The tenants of the building have been given notice that they will need to find alternate space by 2018.
“We are sympathetic to the financial difficulties of SD83, but there are time constraints here.”
Rolin also provided details on other communities that have turned former brick schools into thriving centres, such as Shatford Centre in Penticton. The society’s hope is that this happen here as well. She noted the DAC is well used and it shows there is a great need for affordable meeting space.
“I wish we could just pick it up and take it to Haney House,” she commented, noting due to the character of brick building, it is impossible to move.
“So we need to save it where it sits.”
Former board chair Bobbi Johnson, who was dismissed along with the rest of the board on June 15, noted the board has never made a motion to dismantle the building.
“In a few years,” she said “It simply won’t be feasible for us to look after it.”