Kenneth Brown
of The Clarion
Several upgrades have been made to the Norman Ritchie Community Centre (NRCC) since 2016 and the centre’s management board has provided an update to town officials.
Two members of NRC Management Inc., the incorporated name for the management board, appeared as a delegation at a town council meeting on Sept. 25. The representatives gave an update on the work at the NRCC since its roof was repaired in 2016.
Patty Brotzell-Close and Lorne Kelsey, the chairperson and vice-chairperson of the centre’s management board, spoke to council about work completed at the centre, ongoing work and plans for the future.
“We’ve got lots of good news to tell you,” Kelsey said. New doors, windows and lighting have been installed as part of a project to upgrade the front entrance, and he said it helps to “set off” a fresh look for the building.
He said the project goes back to 2016, after the board was awarded the Canada 150 grant via the Town of Kindersley. The management board has since become incorporated, and received other grants and community support.
The board has applied for another matching grant. Funds to match the grant will come from a reserve fund.
He said a user agreement with the Sun West School Division helps to cover operational costs, and another new user is teaching music lessons on the second floor of the centre.
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Kelsey said the basement and other rooms have been cleaned up, and upgrades have been made to the auditorium area to enhance shows.
A new heating and cooling system has been installed. The building was not air-conditioned before.
New windows were added above the main entrance area and three new windows have been cut into the south-facing wall to allow natural light into rooms on the second floor used by the school division.
Kelsey said the school division shared the cost for the three new windows.
Another business is renting space in the basement.
A new fire alarm system is being installed to make the facility safer for users. And there are plans to apply stucco to finish off the area around the entrance.
Brotzell-Close presented a cheque for $20,000 to town officials. She said the money represents nearly half of the management board’s portion of the matching funds for the Canada 150 grant.
A total of $260,000 has been spent on the upgrades, according to a written report.
She told council the board “would really like” to build a kitchen on the main floor. Brotzell-Close said caterers would like to have a kitchen on the main floor, and it would only be a “basic” kitchen with no extra frills.
Council heard that the board also has plans to install more durable flooring in the foyer, but the board wants to keep carpet in the auditorium. Mayor Rod Perkins asked her if she had any quotes for the work. Brotzell-Close said the estimates she has are six months old, so the numbers could have changed.
Coun. Gary Becker said the group has done a lot of work to the centre. He asked the chairperson what the board’s plan is for the centre now that the project is nearly complete. She said the long-term plan is for a new facility, but the short-term plan is to operate and maintain the NRCC because there’s no home for the performing arts without the community centre.
Other council members commended the delegates for the work done. Coun. Elyse Moss asked Brotzell-Close if she had plans or drawings for the kitchen and flooring projects. She also asked when the board hopes to complete the upgrades. The chairperson said as soon as possible.
Coun. Dean Galbraith asked if the board has considered expanding the NRCC and slowly making further upgrades to meet its needs. He asked if the board could work with what it has in place now instead of looking to build a new facility.
Brotzell-Close said the board is working with what it has in place, but a seating capacity of 200 to 250 people has an impact. She noted that certain performers will not play in venues with small seating capacities, so it limits the arts council’s ability to book higher profile performers.
Council also heard about other events and potential users for the facility.
Perkins told the delegates the board has done a “fabulous job” and council recognizes the need to have a local venue for the performing arts. He encouraged the delegates to submit estimates to the town’s administration for the kitchen and flooring projects, so they have numbers to crunch for the 2018 budget for 2018.
Other meeting highlights
• Town council agreed to let the mayor and chief administrative officer (CAO) meet to prepare responses to a survey on marijuana legalization.
Council heard the survey is for the legalization framework for cannabis legislation. CAO Bernie Morton said marijuana legalization is a hot topic across the country. The federal government has asked for feedback from provinces and territories.
The Saskatchewan government has prepared a survey and Morton said anyone could respond to the 41 questions, but the province is encouraging municipalities to complete the survey whether it’s done in large or small groups.
He noted that municipalities will have to deal with the social and legal challenges surrounding marijuana use, so the province is doing its due diligence by seeking feedback from local governments before a formal response is submitted to the federal government.
The CAO said several lessons have been learned from other jurisdictions in North America where marijuana has been legalized. A question needing to be answered is whether any tax revenue will trickle down to other levels of government, including the municipal level, and police organizations are asking the same questions, he added.
It was suggested that Mayor Rod Perkins could meet with Morton to complete the survey. Deputy Mayor Ken Francis said the mayor and CAO could respond to questions, and then the answers could be brought back for discussion and approval.
• Town officials are going to look at options for new lighting at Kinsmen Park after the Friends of Kinsmen Park asked the town to help find a solution .
Mayor Rod Perkins said a representative of the group asked for guidance with respect to adding lights at the park. He said a letter from the group states that there have been a lot of concerns regarding mischief and vandalism and new lighting could help to deter vandals.
Town CAO Bernie Morton said one option would be to see if lights at the skating rink could be used to illuminate the whole park, but there are better solutions. Town officials will look at options and respond to the group.
• Council has passed a resolution to postpone a decision with respect to adding more traffic signals to the four sets of traffic lights at the south end of Main Street.
Mayor Rod Perkins said the town’s administration has not been able to obtain the quotes council requested at a meeting on Sept. 11, so the agenda item was to be postponed. Council passed a resolution to table the item until Oct. 10.
• A resolution has been passed to rescind a previous council resolution from 2013. Mayor Rod Perkins said the resolution was regarding a donors’ bill of rights for rink fundraising in town. The item amounted to housekeeping and if a similar policy is required in the future, council members could address it at the time, he added.
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