NORTH BATTLEFORD — North Battleford’s Carnegie Library, otherwise known as the Allen Sapp Gallery, was one of eight significant historic buildings across the province of Saskatchewan that have received a combined $212,000 from the Saskatchewan Heritage Foundation to ensure the longevity of the province’s history.
The gallery, which is one of nine remaining Carnegie libraries that still stand in Western Canada, has been awarded $49,000 from SHF, money the SHF says will be spent to preserve a "distinctive character-defining element of the building."
“The building is a crown jewel in downtown North Battleford, and its iconic stature is a symbol of our community’s progress, first as a library, and now as Canada’s only public gallery named after an Indigenous artist,” Leah Garven, the gallery's curator told the News-Optimist/SASKTODAY.ca
“This is a very competitive grant, and we are very pleased,” she added.
Specifically, the funding will be used to repair and restore the distinctive white cornice that frames the building, Garven says, a significant architectural feature of the building, both from a design point of view and from a functional point of view where it protects other aspects of the building’s structure, including the 107-year-old brick walls.
“Repairing the white cornice has been in our plans for several years. We regularly monitor the facilities and plan accordingly and schedule such projects well in advance.”
The repairs are currently with the City of North Battleford's Facility Department, which will then issue a 'request for proposal' so contractors wishing to bid may do so. The project is scheduled to occur in 2023 and is not expected to interrupt visitation to the gallery.
“I am hoping that the work is undertaken soon,” Garven added.
