BATTLEFORD - Battleford town council is looking at having upgrades done to the chimney of the old Government House site, south of town.
The chimney is one of the few remnants of this site, which also served as the Battleford Industrial School until 1914.
Mayor Ames Leslie noted the structural condition of the towering chimney was assessed and found to be needing significant repairs.
The structure, he estimates to be at least 70 feet high, is located on property owned by the town. The land is near the property known as the Ridge, owned by Mosquito, Grizzly Bear's Head, Lean Man First Nation (MGBHLM).
Leslie said he and Coun. Doug Laing noticed large holes in the ground around the chimney stack while at the site a few months ago.
JCK Engineering proposed repairing the masonry at the top of the chimney, and prepare the concrete base supporting the masonry, as part of the work.
The estimated cost is between $45,000 to $55,000. More additional pricing will be done before the 2025 budget deliberations.
Council gave administration permission to obtain further price estimates for the work recommended by the engineering firm, and have the work discussed in the town's 2025 budget deliberation meetings, which start in the fall.
"As they start to expand up there and create a tourism spot, that chimney is a pretty visible sight line for a long ways, so it's nice to see," Laing said. "Also, that number [of the estimated repair cost] was shockingly high to me."
Coun. Judy Pruden asked the town look into the possibility of obtaining a grant to help with the cost.
"It was a residential and industrial school, and it is becoming part of our historical story," she said. "It's on the site of the school. Perhaps there is something under the Truth and Reconciliation plan."
Leslie said although the high cost to fix it is concerning, the site is federally-recognized for its history, so that needs to be considered also in the need to protect the site.
"Before we would deconstruct anything, we would have to look at that as well," he said.
Coun. Kevin Russell said he would like to see the chimney stay, but adds it's also a "dollars and cents" issue.
Coun. Shelley Boutin-Gervais wants the chimney to stay.
"You can't erase all of history. You kind of have to hope that history never repeats itself... I think we should put the money into fixing it, [to] remember and reflect, and don't let it happen again. It is history."
Leslie said the experts will determine what the actual cost will be to do the work over the next year.
The mayor notes he hopes to keep the chimney intact and not remove it.
"The ruins are there from what was the original Government House, which was also the Battleford Residential Industrial School," he said. "It is part of our history, whether it's a dark history or not. It's still part of our history. That smoke stack, on the Ridge you can see it. It's kind of a symbol of that area, of healing and addressing it. At this time, we'll continue to make sure it's safe, that is be the responsibility of the town as the town still owns that property where the ruins are on."
He added that MGBHLM are also in the midst of developing their new interpretive centre and art gallery in that area.
The mayor noted the town will work closely with MGBHLM and make sure the site fits in with what they feel is appropriate for their new facility "and also to the healing of their members who want to come up there."
"We'll look to keep it if the costs are appropriate," he said. "But if it comes back that the costs are exponential to keep that smokestack, then we will look at council to come up with some ideas, or administration can come up with some ideas on maybe how we can preserve the history and try and have some representation of what that land, that building signifies in our community."
