ATHABASCA – Members of the Athabasca Pottery Club are hoping their non-profit status will help secure funding to redo the foundations of the Old Brick School and give themselves a little more space to work with.
During the July 16 Town of Athabasca council meeting, Nancy Parker appeared on behalf of the local artisans with a request for a letter of support from the town to match any grant funding received from a possible provincial grant.
“The proposal is the most cost-effective approach, going forward, for the revitalization efforts,” said Parker. “Where possible, the club will be contributing in-kind labour towards the project, and we’ll be exploring additional fundraising opportunities through Alberta Gaming Liquor and Cannabis (AGLC) and other grant opportunities to improve accessibility.”
Accessibility has become a problem for the club, which is one of the few community groups that features a waiting list. Parker said the group has a limited amount of space in the basement of the building where it has been located for over 60 years.
“We have been in continuous operation since November 1961, thanks to Doc Brown and a bunch of others.” she said. ‘We’ve not run special workshops in quite some time, partly due to the wear and tear and run down (in the space).”
The club is in the process of applying for the Community Facility Enhancement Program, a provincial funding stream that gives out up to $125,000 for upgrades and expansions of public-use community facilities.
The grant requires an equal match from applicants however, and Parker said the club has traditionally run on a minimal-profit structure.
“We’ve always tried to keep our fees low to improve access for the people in the community, so we haven’t been running to make money,” said Parker.
Currently, the club pays $350 a month for the space, which includes their clay kiln and storage facilities.
Needed renovations
The money would go towards a variety of projects, all included in the 2019 Old Brick School Design Development report, which the town commissioned from Reimagine Architects, formerly Manasc Isaac Architects, Ltd.
Coun. Edie Yuill represents the town on the conservation committee for the building, and she said they directed the club to make the request.
“It was an ask by the Brick School committee to have them consider taking on casinos. Any number of monies they can put into the project would be greatly appreciated by the town,” said Yuill.
Reimagine broke the needed work into three categories: ‘must do,’ ‘should do,’ and ‘nice to do.’ The grant funding would go towards the must do work, which includes demolition and abatement, a sediment separator for the pottery club’s sink, and masonry and concrete work. In total, the firm estimated the must do work would cost $662,000, with the should do sections bringing along an additional price tag of $2.4 million.
“You can see the plan on our website, and they’re following the to-do list for the basement. I don’t think the money they’re asking for will do any more than that,” said Coun. Ida Edwards, who addressed concerns the club may be enhancing their own experience on the ratepayer’s dime. “This is a to-do project; we have to do it.”
“This partnership gives you an opportunity to secure a portion of the funds needed to start the revitalization work and extend the life of the building,” said Parker.
