See Moose Jaw’s renovated historic schools

Prince Arthur school

Prince Arthur School. Peel Library Postcard Collection. Postcard 12731, Published by Gowen Sutton Co.

What does a renovated historic school look like? On Sept. 28, Heritage Regina is offering a bus tour of renovated historic schools of Moose Jaw! Moose Javians will be on hand to take us inside their 100-year-old-plus schools. We’ll get to learn about their history and details of the renovations that have been done.

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Connaught milestone – still going strong

École Connaught Community School celebrates another important milestone this coming week, the 100th anniversary of the first day of classes. Connaught School was constructed in 1912 and opened its doors on Sept. 1, 1913.

“The school is going strong, and there are no plans to close it. It has a remarkable history and a solid future,” said Rene Dumont, chair of Save Our Connaught Heritage. The group wants to get the word out that Connaught remains an excellent option for students.

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Board rejects cooperation

Connaught frontCathedral Area residents are exploring their legal options after the Regina Board of Education voted to block conservation specialists from entering Connaught School.

“What are they afraid of?” asked Rene Dumont, chair of Save Our Connaught Heritage. “Every responsible home owner asks for more than one estimate on a project.”

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Request to School Board

The Ecole Connaught SCC has sent a letter to the Regina Public School Board asking for the following:

1. Work in cooperation with Save Our Connaught to develop a renovation option for the school.

2. Allow specialists access to the building, for the purposes of examining its structural condition.

3. Support an application for heritage designation, to allow access to federal and provincial funds for heritage renovations and restorations.

The board will consider this at their meeting on Tuesday, June 18 at 7 p.m., 1600-4th Ave. Citizens are encouraged to attend.

What other cities and towns are doing to preserve historic schools – read this Leader-Post article.

Robert’s Letter to Premier Wall

Dear Premier Wall,

I write as a 1934 model senior citizen who enjoys anything old, attractive, well preserved and useful. A prime example being the Regina red brick and mortar architecturally magnificent Connaught public school and nearby Connaught public library. RENEW don’t destroy!

Read more of Robert Walker’s Letter

Good education doesn’t require brand new architecture – expert

talk cropped

Paul W. Bennett has seen more than a few historic schools mistreated and demolished in his day. He’s also seen some stunningly beautiful renovations. But there’s one thing they all have in common, he says.

“I’ve never found a situation yet where a board document didn’t inflate the cost of renovation and lowball the cost of new,” Dr. Bennett told a full house at the Cathedral Neighbourhood Centre on Monday, May 20. Read the full post »

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Petition launched

On May 2nd, Save Our Connaught Heritage launched a formal petition to the Regina Public School Board. It reads:

We are asking the Regina Public School Board to work in cooperation with the Save Our Connaught Heritage Committee, on behalf of community members, to develop a sound, affordable renovation plan that will support the current Ecole Connaught Community School building as a 21st Century learning environment, while respecting community values and preserving the heritage of this nationally recognized historic school.

Watch for this petition at community events, and volunteer to help circulate it by contacting saveourconnaught@gmail.com