By paNOW

Granddaughter would like to see Margo Fournier Center saved

May 8, 2014 | 6:15 AM

The granddaughter of the Margo Fournier is hoping Prince Albert’s city council looks to alternatives to the building named for the founder of the Prince Albert Boys’ Choir.

The City of Prince Albert is considering the fate of the Margo Fournier Center, which could include its closure. City officials confirmed they have spoken with user groups in the building, forewarning them of the possibility that the building could be shuttered at the end of the year.

For the family of the building’s namesake, the building has a special meaning.

Megan Fournier-Mewis is the artistic director of the Prince Albert Childrens’ Choir, which she was a part of re-establishing. Fournier-Mewis has another connection to the building; she attended pre-school music there when her grandmother was still in charge of music programs. As a teenager, she went to musical theatre rehearsals there with Odyssey Productions.

She said if the centre were to close, the family would certainly be disappointed.

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“There’s a great deal of pride in being a descendant of a woman who made such a big difference in her community that a building was named after her. And not only because it’s nice that she’s being remembered that way, but that the importance of the arts is remembered that way.”

For her brother Danny Fournier, the building is fairly significant. Now the owner of Oddball Productions, a musical consulting firm that assists artist and the co-founder of the Edmonton Music Awards, Fournier was a member of the Boys’ Choir in Prince Albert growing up.

The Boys’ Choir, he said, had a huge impact on its former members, many have gone on to other successes, and the building itself is tied to that experience.

If the Margo Fournier Center were to close, he said it would be unfortunate. At the same time, he said his grandmother isn’t remembered for just the building.

“She was remembered for her actions and what she did in the community, whether it was the Prince Albert Boys’ Choir, whether it was, she was involved in a variety of different things, from, like the school boards and teaching. She had a huge impact, not just her, but I think the whole entire family,” Fournier said. He said his grandfather was also involved in the community and together, his grandparents created their own legacy.

Fournier-Mewis said would love to see Mayor Greg Dionne continue to fight for the people of the city by saving more of their community centres.

She said what the city is faced with is an “awesome opportunity.”

“We have a beautiful facility in the Alfred Jenkins [Field House], and that opens up the Margo Fournier Center to be used for not only physical activities, but to go back to being used for the arts, and as a rec centre, and as a community centre, in that sense. The fact that it’s directly across the street from the E.A. Rawlinson Centre gives us the opportunity to further develop an arts district in this ever growing city.”

To Fournier-Mewis, a city is defined by its infrastructure, but when a community is studied, it’s defined by its arts and culture. She added a city not only has to be a good place to do business, but it has to be a good place to raise a family and a centralized community centre is important as well.

Moving the Prince Albert Childrens’ Choir into the building would be something she’d want to do, if the Margo Fournier Center could accommodate it.

“It can accommodate drama clubs, music programs as well as continue to accommodate things like batting practice, and if there’s a Boys and Girls Club in there, you know, if things like that are so important to a city.”

tjames@panow.com

On Twitter: @thiajames