Historic buildings in Humboldt kept popping up on the Journal's radar last week.
Information about Humboldt's water tower, the Merchants Bank building (formerly the Willkommen Centre), and the old CN Rail Station all crossed my desk in the last seven days. And it got me to thinking.
In 1997, the water tower was going to be burned down because it had been let go to the point it was in absolutely terrible condition. But a group of dedicated history lovers got on the bandwagon and kept that from happening. They also dedicated time and effort to fixing the tower up. And now it's received an architectural heritage award from the lieutenant-governor.
Not too shabby for a building once filled nearly to the brim with pigeon poop.
Besides the award, the tower is nearly ready to be opened as a tourism site in the city. Once a staircase to the top is built, the public will be able to climb to the top and see for miles and miles and miles. Personally, I can't wait.
The Merchants Bank, which has been owned and used by the city for years, has recently come under the management of the Humboldt and District Museum and Gallery. Museum staff spent last Wednesday morning watching a crane remove heavy items from the roof and top floor of the building, to prepare it for repairs to the roof.
This building is not in as bad a shape as the water tower was, but it still needs some work so that it's safe for the museum to use. The museum board has plans for it, and it promises to be a great space to house exhibitions when all is said and done.
Lastly, I got an email from CN Rail regarding the future of their old station building in Humboldt. There are no plans to tear down the building, which is a national historic site, but its future remains up in the air. The building is not in great shape, I've heard, and just what it could be used for is very unclear, as it cannot be moved away from the railway tracks, as I understand the situation.
Three heritage projects, all at different stages in their development, all located in Humboldt.
It's nice to see that at least some of the history of this community is being safeguarded for the future.
Because history is important, no matter where in the world you live.
Can you imagine what the city of London would be like without any of its important, historic buildings? I can't. Some have survived great fires and bombings and provide a great historical record for the city.
And while some of those buildings have had to receive massive restoration over the years, it's upkeep that has kept most of them looking good. For instance, while I was there last summer, St. Paul's Cathedral, built in the 1700s, was getting cleaned. The English do not wait until a building is nearly falling down due to neglect to work on it. If they want to keep it around, they keep it up.
That's something we in Saskatchewan really need to keep in mind as the years go by. We can't always let things fall to wrack and ruin and expect to keep them in the end. The water tower is a great example of a success story - of where the place was literally falling down and now, through a lot of hard work and money, is a testament to the history of this community.
But I think it's the exception, not the rule.
Who knows whether or not we'll be able to say the same about the railway station in the years to come.
The museum embarked on a project last year to identify key heritage sites in the community - things that we should keep for the future. It was a great idea, and something that I think should be done every decade or so. Because it makes us look at what is important to keep, and makes us realize what has to be done in order to keep it.
That awareness is what, I think, will keep the history of Humboldt alive.
