Laura Plosz, of Group 2 Architecture and Design, speaks to guests at the open house Wednesday to gather input on future ideas for the Town of Battleford's former opera house. (Angela Brown/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Angela Brown

Envisioning the future

Community envisions myriad of future uses for old opera house

Nov 7, 2019 | 4:43 PM

Battleford residents put on their thinking caps Wednesday as they came together to propose a gamut of ideas for the future of the old opera house space in Town Hall.

The two-hour event at Fort Battleford saw a stream of visitors come through the doors to take part in the envisioning project and put their dreams on paper.

Battleford wants to upgrade the upper floor of Town Hall, which used to house an opera hall. The space hasn’t been used since the building was damaged in a fire in 1965 due to the high cost to renovate the top floor. Council wants to know what the community wants to do with the space.

“It sounds like a really unique space that we could be doing more with than just having it be empty and unused,” said resident Jeremy Cockrill. ”I’d really like to see a space that is adaptable to a bunch of different activities . Not everything under the sun, but I think to have it used for just one purpose would be a questionable use of just one space.”

On the topic of it turning into a performance space, he questioned whether there is enough demand for this type of facility. The young man said existing performance venues like the Dekker Centre in North Battleford could benefit from being used more.

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Some participants said it should be easily accessible. Some recommended using it for yoga, others for a government library space or a place for community programs. Some wanted it as a place for seniors’ activities.

Jane Shury, with the Saskatchewan Baseball Hall of Fame and Battlefords North West Historical Society, said she would like to see the space used to reflect and preserve the area’s history.

“The town of Battleford is such a historical community that that should be our focus, and as such that should be acknowledged,” she said.

Shury suggested if the area is used as a performance space any plays or music presented should tell some of the story of the area’s history, including the First Nation history. She said this effort could serve to attract visitors to Battleford.

“In the summertime they could make it a destination point,” Shury said. “There’s so many things that could be done.”

The firm Group 2 Architecture and Design is gathering public input for a report it will present to the town in January, looking at both costs and proposals for the space.

“We’re looking not only at the idea of restoring it back into an opera hall but also what another option could look like,” Laura Plosz, one of the company’s principles, said.

She said she was pleased to see a fairly wide spectrum of people taking part in the open house, ranging in age from seven to seniors.

Group 2 will have a second open house in December. The firm is also working with a stakeholder group that has representatives from various organizations in Battleford.

Mayor Ames Leslie said while the cost to restore the space would be costly, it could be done over a period of time, and through fundraising with planning efforts. But it can be done if the town puts its mind to it so the space doesn’t continue to sit idle.

“What I would like to see is something the whole community can get behind for the next 20, 30 or 40 years,” he said. “To me, it doesn’t really matter what’s up there. I just want the town to get it right.”

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angela.brown@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @battlefordsnow