| Moina Macilharghy braved the biting cold last week to try and save her alma mater from destruction – nearly 60 years after she graduated.
During a rally on January 26 at the former St. Mary’s Girls School, the 1944 graduate pointed out the windows of the abandoned rooms where she took classes, and reminisced about lifting dumbbells with her 11 classmates to exercise.
"We don’t have enough old buildings in Calgary to save, so I think it’s important to save this one," Macilharghy says. "I think it would be terrible if we lost it."
She got a little help from some powerful allies on city council this week, but it may not be enough to save the 93-year-old school at 1916 2nd St. S.W. from being torn down.
Based on motions put forth by Ald. Madeline King, council agreed to formally ask the Calgary Catholic School District (CCSD), which owns the school, to hold off demolishing it until council can look into the issue of preservation.
It also referred the issue to council’s Standing Policy Committee on Operations and Environment, where the city’s options will be examined. The public will have an opportunity to provide input during a meeting on February 8.
King acknowledged the uphill battle the city faces in trying to save the school – CCSD has received provincial approval to tear it down and build a new one in its place, and the city has no claim on the building or land – but says it is the city’s responsibility to act on behalf of concerned residents.
"When you look at the great cities of the world... have any of them said ‘We can’t afford (to preserve heritage buildings) at this point in time because we have too many buildings?’ Of course not. Then they wouldn’t be great cities," King says.
Ken LaPointe, president of the Society for the Preservation and Restoration of St. Mary’s School, says he is heartened by council’s interest in the building, but the only sure way to save the school is to convince the school district that it’s worth saving.
"This is very positive because it does show council does have concern for the issue," he adds.
Calgary Catholic School District chair Linda Blasetti couldn’t be reached for comment, but in a letter to a city alderman, she wrote that any delay in moving forth with the plans will hurt students.
The school district says its focus is providing education, not preserving buildings – it plans to build a replica of the existing school that will house special needs students.
LaPointe, however, says the school district’s estimates of the cost of renovating the building are too high because they include adjoining non-heritage structures. He adds that the building’s preservation should be a higher priority.
"This was never a question of money. It’s a question of will." |
