The Citizen, 2015-09-24, Page 34THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2015. PAGE 35.
Members of the Blyth Memorial
Hall Renovation Committee and
Jason Morgan of Allan Avis
Architects were on hand at North
Huron council’s Sept. 21 meeting to
discuss the future of the community
structure.
The committee, which was created
and lead by the township is made up
of stakeholders in the building
including Blyth Festival staff and
board members, members of the
Legion Ladies Auxiliary and Legion,
representatives from the Blyth Arts
and Cultural Initiative 14/19 Inc. and
other community members.
North Huron Director of
Recreation and Facilities Pat
Newson explained that the group
was approaching phase three, the
construction phase of the plan.
“We’ve taken the design schematic
and turned it into construction
details,” she said. “We’re here in
order to catch up new council
members and Jason Morgan is here
to take us through, briefly, where the
renovation is moving and then we
can talk about the budget for the
project.”
Morgan then explained that the
interior of the lower hall and the
1990-built link edition were set for
major changes.
“What we’re trying to achieve in
the lower hall is to create a more
generous, inviting space,” he said.
“The lobby was restrictive and really
restricted movement through that
space. One of our main efforts was
to enlarge that and make it more of
an inviting space... to free up
movement from the exterior to the
interior.”
He touched on the commercial
kitchen, which will go where the
previous site of the Blyth Library
was and noted that extensive
renovations would be necessary.
“We’re excavating to drop the
floor there 13 inches,” he said. “This
new design is going to be free
flowing and barrier free.”
The lower hall will also be gutted
and renovated to make the space
more modern, however Morgan said
it would be done without losing sight
of the character or the heritage of the
building.
“We’re going to be bringing
elements forward that reflect that
character,” he said. “We’re looking
at things like vintage light fixtures
and cast iron columns to reflect that
history.”
The bathrooms at the east end of
the hall will also be removed as the
bathrooms in the lobby are
expanded. This will reveal two
windows that were previously
covered by the bathrooms to allow
more natural light into the lower
hall.
The upper hall updates will focus
not only on the needs of the Blyth
Festival according to Morgan, but
also on making the space multi-
purpose to enable it to be used
throughout the year.
“We’re using new technologies
throughout the hall,” he said. “We’re
looking to have improved seating
which means we’re going to lose
some capacity but expand the
generosity of each space.”
Aside from making seat spaces
wider, Morgan said that there would
be consistent knee space so it’s
comfortable for taller people.
The performance space will also
be getting a “freshening up”
according to Morgan. Structural
issues will be addressed and safety
issues for the performance lighting
grid will be addressed.
“The safety of the Festival staff
using it and maintaining it is a
focus,” he said. “We’re putting fall
arrest connections up so they can be
safe.”
The balcony will feature similar
upgrades to the main seating area in
the theatre including new seating, a
lighting booth update to
accommodate the new technologies.
Morgan said the changes will satisfy
Festival staff but also allow the space
to be multi-use throughout the year.
The courtyard will also be
changed significantly according to
Morgan.
Made by Stantec Engineering, the
plan for the courtyard includes
keeping the single existing tree in
front of the 1990 link, but changing
the site significantly beyond that.
“Accessibility will be a big issue,”
he said. “We will have dropped
curbs to make getting to the building
free and clear. We’re putting an ice-
melt system in which reduces
maintenance and long-term care for
the sidewalks in the winter.”
Morgan said the final result will be
a communal courtyard space that
will preserve existing memorial
elements.
“We’re going to relocate and use
as much of the memorial artifacts as
possible,” he said.
The exterior of the hall will also
see some refreshments with a new
bell tower, gables and trim to try and
capture some of the historic
information.
The total budget for the changes is
estimated at $3,142,802. Adding
consultants, engineers and expenses,
the entire project is set to cost
$3,500,982, nearly double the
original $2 million price tag.
North Huron’s contribution to the
project, however, stays at $500,000,
with 14/19 contributing the
remainder.
Council approved Newson’s
report, which will set construction
beginning for Fall 2016, if 14/19 is
able to produce, by January 2016,
convincing information that the
group will be able to finance the
project.
A second presentation was made
by 14/19 Administrator Karen
Stewart and Project Director Peter
Smith regarding funding.
Stewart explained that the group
hopes to utilize naming
opportunities, with North Huron’s
permission, for 20-year periods for
the lower hall, upper hall and
courtyard to raise money as well as
the 14/19 champions campaign.
The naming campaign could bring
in as much as $3.9 million.
Stewart stated that the
organization is seeking 1,419 people
to donate $1,419 over two to five
years (for a total of $2,013,561) to
help with not only the renovations to
Memorial Hall but also the other
projects being tackled by 14/19.
Deputy-Reeve James Campbell
asked if council could get more
frequent updates on the funding
available since the deadline of
January, 2016 was fast approaching
and Smith said he would be happy
doing that and said providing
monthly feedback was a great idea.
Councillor Trevor Seip warned the
group, however, that there is a lot
being asked of ratepayers in North
Huron.
“We have campaigns in the
community right now in the vicinity
of $7.2 million,” he said. “We have
the hospital capital campaign,
Memorial Hall, the Bridges
community and other groups
looking for investors.”
Seip said he appreciated the drive
of 14/19, but said that the task ahead
of them was a difficult one.
Council thanked both deputations
for their presentations.
After decades of neglect, it’s time
to reinvest in rural Canada. That’s
the finding of a new national report
released Sept. 17 and co-authored by
University of Guelph professors.
“Without question, we’ve been
ignoring rural Canada,” said Al
Lauzon, a professor in the School of
Environmental Design and Rural
Development (SEDRD), who helped
write the “State of Rural Canada”
report. SEDRD professors Wayne
Caldwell, a Huron County native,
and David Douglas are also authors.
The report was produced by the
Canadian Rural Revitalization
Foundation (CRRF) and the Rural
Policy Learning Commons, an
international network funded by the
Social Sciences and Humanities
Research Council of Canada. The
study – issued during the Building
Community Resilience conference
in Summerside, P.E.I. – is intended
for policy-makers seeking to better
understand and work with rural
regions and people.
“We also hope it will help get rural
on the federal election agenda,” said
Lauzon, who is the president of
CRRF.
Rural Canada is vital to the
nation’s economy, the report says,
Olde tyme music
Canada’s largest travelling barn dance made its way to Brussels on Sunday for a special day
of music at Melville Presbyterian Church with a number of different acts on the bill travelling
from as far away as Windsor. Here, performing with the Barn Dance Show Band, is Paul Weber,
wearing black. (Vicky Bremner photo)
Rural Canada neglected: report
14/19 members lay out future Memorial Hall plans
Murray & Donna
Hamm
September 24th
Happy 60th Anniversary
Love
your family
Tuckersmith Day Nurserys
40th Annivesary/Open House
(Vanastra Early Childhood Learning Centre)
Saturday Sept 26th
10am –2pm
Vanastra Rec Centre
featuring “Little Rays Reptile Zoo”
other fun activities
COME CELEBRATE
Anniversary Cookbooks
available for purchase
The SEAFORTH
HARMONY KINGS
Men’s Barbershop Chorus
Presents
"OPERATION
DUMBELL"
A Musical Tribute to
Canada’s WWI soldiers
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 3
at 7:30 PM
(doors open at 6:45 pm)
SEAFORTH PUBLIC SCHOOL
Adults $20,
children 12 and under free
Some tickets at the door
or phone 519-238-5419 to reserve
www.seaforthharmonykings.ca
Entertainment StopsStopsStopsStopsStops
a l o n g the wayalongtheway
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Continued on page 36
By Denny Scott
The Citizen