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Former H.A. Kostash School Demolished
Former H.A. Kostash School Demolished
Michelle Pinon - News Advertiser
Former H.A. Kostash School in the Town of Smoky Lake has been demolished.
Watching the demolition unfold over the past week has been hard for Hank Holowaychuk. The long-time resident and former mayor commented that, “It’s a sad day for Smoky Lake and region.”
Holowaychuk said it was a big loss in the community and a big mistake on the part of Aspen View Public Schools and the Town of Smoky Lake. Holowaychuk wanted to save the addition to the school that was completed in the late eighties and had approached town council regarding that.
He pointed to several buildings in the community that have been repurposed, including the former theatre that currently serves as the seniors drop-in centre. He said the curling rink has been around since 1962 and the complex since 1972 and they are not being torn down and felt that the school shouldn’t have been either.
Entrepreneurs Brian and Leesa Jones had also approached council about the property and devised a detailed proposal for an arts and cultural centre. The couple commented that, “We, and most of the community are saddened to see the shameful destruction of a building that could have been saved as a valuable asset to our community in many ways. In our minds too many politicians have personal agendas, vendettas, and egos that get in the way of progress.
One politician even told us that the school had to come down or it would make them look like an idiot because they previously said it was condemned.....
As far as we know, all decisions on the school by all levels of government were made in camera...there was no discussion with interested companies or community members who were intereste4ed in expanding their business or starting a new one in that available space. A great opportunity and new potential tax base is now a pile of rubble.
Elected officials must understand that they should:
-consider that people are a resource
-be listeners
-ask questions and themselves be a resource for others -be a learner -create visions and consider proposed visions for the community
This community definitely deserves more than what they got on this matter.”
The Vegreville News Advertiser requested a cost breakdown for abatement and demolition, but Alberta Infrastructure Communications Director Brendan Procé said they had contracted Delnor Construction to deliver the entire project. “The costs associated with abatement and demolition are built into the total project cost.” The total cost of the project was $24.5 million.
