The original St. Mary’s school building in Owen Sound is one step closer to demolition.
City council accepted on Monday a recommendation to allow the Bruce-Grey Catholic School Board to build a small addition on the west side of the current school building in commemoration of the original structure, which will be demolished.
The approval is conditional but it’s expected the school board will agree to and fulfill the city’s demands, after which time a demolition permit will be issued and the 120-year-old building will be torn down.
Board officials have said it is cost-prohibitive to repair and the provincial Ministry of Education has made no funds available for that purpose.
But Councillor Jim McManaman says neither the city nor the school board have tried hard enough to see if the province could be budged on that issue — given its stated commitment to the preservation of heritage buildings like the original school.
McManaman says an adaptive use for the building could be found if the effort was made to find one.
Not enough of his council colleagues agreed with him — the vote was 6-3 in favour of accepting the recommendation.
Councillor Ian Boddy moved the recommendation, saying he feels enough time has passed and the issue simply needs to be dealt with.
Others say the community has shown no interest at all in saving the building, and its only champions have been in the council chambers.
McManaman says council has needed to lead within the community on this matter regardless of whatever apathy residents have shown.
The school board must present to the city a digital recording of the original building, both interior and exterior, and must present details of a planned architectural salvage of the structure.
