MOOSE JAW — A storage area in the Moose Jaw Cultural Centre’s basement is crumbling and posing safety hazards to staff, so city hall plans to decommission the space and seal it.
During its Jan. 20 budget meeting, city council voted unanimously to spend $115,000 to address critical structural concrete repairs in the basement of the Cultural Centre — now known as the Centre for Arts and Culture (CAC). These repairs are expected to mitigate safety risks and prevent further deterioration while ensuring minimal disruptions to the venue’s operations.
The expense includes $105,500 for structural repairs and a front-entrance sidewalk replacement and $9,500 for monthly rentals for the temporary shoring-up equipment.
Most funding will come from the facilities building reserve account and some from carry-forward money — and will not affect the tax increase. Moreover, using reserve funding will not affect ceiling repairs in the Mae Wilson Theatre.
This option will require the closure of the front entrance sidewalk for six to eight weeks so the space can be sealed.
The storage area is beneath the theatre entrance sidewalk on Main Street and presented safety concerns because of exposed rebar and crumbling concrete, possibly leading to falling debris, a budget report said. So, last year, CAC staff removed all stored materials and restricted access to the area pending an engineering review.
The department of community services assessed the area in 2024, while an engineer recommended temporary shoring of the room and a sidewalk closure for public safety, the document continued. Installation of temporary shoring occurred in late November and concluded in early December, allowing the sidewalk to reopen.
“The structural assessment identified significant deficiencies due to the building’s age and prolonged moisture exposure, particularly under the main entrance and rear mechanical areas,” the report said. “Immediate hazards (included) severe corrosion of reinforcing materials, concrete spalling and deteriorating brick columns.”
The city performed structural upgrades in 2002, but the sidewalk design and protruding columns make the venue susceptible to water damage within 10 to 20 years, the document noted.
Decommissioning the space would reduce the risk of future crumbling and associated repair costs, while staff no longer need that area for storage and say its elimination would not affect operations.
The temporary shoring-up of the space has reduced immediate risks to the area, which will allow contractors to conduct repairs during the building’s annual shutdown in late August and September, the report added. This timing minimizes disruptions to the venue’s operations and avoids closing the sidewalk during the tourism season.
The budget report contained pictures of the space and the front entrance sidewalk overhead, something that caught Coun. Jamey Logan’s attention.
“I’m not sure if people in this city are aware of how many buildings actually do that, where the building is dug out underneath the sidewalk and the sidewalk runs over top, which is crazy,” he said.
“So, I’m certainly in favour of … decommissioning the space entirely. We could spend a bunch of money and fix it, but honestly, down the road, we’re just going to have the same problem,” Logan added.
Coun. Heather Eby was pleased that, based on the proposed funding source, council wasn’t deferring the theatre ceiling repairs to 2026 like it did last year. Moreover, she thought the photos showed the “weird thing” that was under Moose Jaw’s sidewalks.
“That is why sometimes strange things happen in downtown Moose Jaw with other structures and (corner) bulb-outs and such,” she said, adding that residents should visit the city website to see the pictures.
