Architects will spend the next six weeks assessing what kinds of upgrades are needed at the Town Hall Arts and Cultural Centre, which houses the Astor Theatre. File photo by Ed Halverson

The Region of Queens has hired architects to come up with a plan to modernize the historic Astor Theatre in downtown Liverpool.

DSRA Architecture of Halifax has experience working on heritage buildings such as the Lunenburg Academy, Province House in Halifax and Halifax City Hall. Councillors approved spending $17,500 from the accumulated budget surplus.

The region owns the Town Hall Arts and Cultural Centre, which houses the Astor. The Astor Theatre Society leases it from the region.

The Astor is limited in what kinds of events it can hold, especially in summer and fall, because it does not have a modern climate control system.

It relies on an oil-fired hot water furnace for heat and windows for ventilation.

The building also needs many upgrades to meet provincial accessibility requirements.

Elise Johnston, who is the region’s former accessibility coordinator and now its manager of capital projects, says hiring the architects will kickstart the process to assess the building’s needs. 

“As we know it can be quite stifling hot, especially in the summer,” she told councillors at a recent meeting.

“It’s very uncomfortable. So it affects their operations. It’s a big project. 
We have looked at a few independent reviews and designs, but then that didn’t take into consideration the accessibility (concerns). So if we’re going to do this, we need to do it in a holistic way.”

Johnston told councillors that the region and the Astor have discussed installing a modern HVAC system before, as well as an accessible lift to get to the second floor and a universal washroom. But those projects were discussed in isolation and not part of one overall plan.

She said hiring the architects will help get the necessary work started, “which would be to look at all the applicable codes, all the top priority needs, get some community engagement, and plan the steps forward. The main question is, what is priority, what can come first? 
How do we phase this over a period of time?”

Eric Goulden, chairman of the Astor Theatre Society, told QCCR that the much-needed upgrades could potentially be a multimillion-dollar project.

“All in all, they’re going about it in the right way,” he said.

“It needs an architect. It’s an old building. It requires a significant amount of work to protect its heritage. All good, all very, very good. And great support from the council.”

District 6 Coun. Stewart Jenkins asked whether the region gets any revenue from ticket sales at the Astor. 

Joanne Veinotte, the region’s director of finance, said a portion of each ticket sold goes into a special capital projects fund for the building.

Jenkins said that because the Astor is such a big part of downtown Liverpool, he’d like the region to develop a five-year plan.

“I think we need to do more to preserve this building and make it a viable building moving forward.”

Johnston said this project is meant to do that and to make it “a more revenue-generating building”.

She told councillors the architects plan to begin work immediately with a report back to council in about six weeks.

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com

Listen to the audio version of this story below

Photo Ed Halverson

Repairs at Hillsview Acres long term-care home will have to wait after proposals came back way over budget.

The province had approved $273,000 to update washrooms, stairs and entry doors at the municipally owned facility.

Region of Queens Mayor Darlene Norman says the bids came back at $475,000 and $678,000.

“The administrator knew what needed to be done so contacted some contractors and came up with estimates that led us to the $273,000 price,” said Norman. I guess what was failed to be recognized is that this isn’t the same as doing repairs on your home.”

Norman says the repairs to the long-term care home must meet similar standards to hospitals and other healthcare facilities.

While the Region of Queens has a reserve fund set aside for Hillsview Acres, Norman says it’s up to the province to cover operational costs.

A new long-term care home is planned to replace both Hillsview Acres and Queens Manor over the next few years.

Norman says when the new facility is built the municipality will need that reserve to cover costs until Hillsview Acres can be sold.

“Who knows if there’s no buyer for it? Who knows what the cost would be if it has to be demolished? Which I hope that it does not get there,” said Norman. “I hope there will be a useful use someone will have. But we can’t spend all of our Hillsview reserve money on items that need to be done according to department of health standards.”

Norman says the Region’s finance department is working directly with the provincial health department to come up with an appropriate estimate and secure the funding needed to complete the repairs.

E-mail: edhalversonnews@gmail.com
Twitter: @edwardhalverson

To listen to the broadcast of this story, press play below.

Hillsview Acres, Region of Queens, Darlene Norman, Queens Manor, renovations,

A fresh new look at the Liverpool Curling Club. Photo Gordie Sampson

The Liverpool curling club is hoping a prestigious championship can go ahead next year.

The Provincial Mixed Doubles event was to have been held at the club the weekend of December 16-19 but was cancelled along with all competitive sports events in Nova Scotia as the province fights to contain the latest COVID-19 outbreak.

Liverpool Curling club president Gordie Sampson says they will be speaking with Curling Nova Scotia about when the event will be held but is concerned the competition may not be the same.

“Where they’re postponed until the new year, that might be an issue too,” said Sampson. “Because some of the team members that were coming to curl in the mixed doubles are also playing in the Tournament of Hearts.”

Sampson says the situation is fluid and hopes it will become clearer in the coming weeks.

The championship would have capped off a significant year for the club which undertook $400,000 in renovations to the facility.

Sampson says the club received some help from the Region of Queens but most of the funding for the renovations came from private donations.

Contributions are still rolling in as a new $12,000 ice scraper is arriving this week from a donor who doesn’t wish to be recognized.

Sampson says exterior walls have been insulated, more energy efficient LED lighting has been installed and refrigeration has been upgraded to provide a better ice surface and a more comfortable playing environment.

“We know from experience that if you don’t give that good product on the ice then very soon you won’t have a curling club at all,” said Sampson.

The upgrades built an enthusiasm for curling in the community which, Sampson says, has translated into new members for their junior and adult programs.

Now that the ice surface is up to snuff, Sampson says the club is turning their attention to the function rooms.

He says the club will be renovating to meet 2030 accessibility standards.

They’re working now to raise the estimated $600-700,000 for renovations which will also include a new kitchen, bar area and gender-neutral bathrooms.

E-mail: edhalversonnews@gmail.com
Twitter: @edwardhalverson

To listen to the broadcast of this story, press play below.

Photo Ed Halverson

The addition of two new accessible bathrooms will make life more comfortable for residents of Hillsview Acres.

The province provided $98,000 to build one new washroom upstairs and one downstairs.

Region of Queens met in-camera at their last meeting to consider a $158,000 tender from Rikjak construction to complete the work.

Mayor Darlene Norman says council made the unusual move of rejecting the request for proposals bid, opting instead to complete the renovations using municipal staff.

“It could be a mixture of in-house people. It could be a mixture of sourcing it out to various sub-contractors but it basically means that we now take the lead,” said Norman.

Staff did a review and determined the renovations could be completed internally for a cost much closer to the $98,000 allocated by the province.

“Adam Grant, Director of Engineering and Works will take the lead on that and it may not all be done in-house but we will find a way to get that done,” said Norman.

The provincial government also recently announced spending of $96.5 million to either upgrade or replace several long-term care homes across Nova Scotia.

Health Minister Zach Churchill told QCCR it is “quite likely” both Queens Manor and Hillsview Acres will be replaced under this funding.

The washrooms will make Hillsview Acres more comfortable for residents while the new building is completed.

Norman says there is no timetable for the washrooms to be built but she would like to have it done as quickly as possible as there are currently eight residents sharing one washroom.

She says despite the fact the building is scheduled to be replaced it still needs to be livable in the meantime.

“It’s people’s homes,” said Norman. “It’s people’s homes.”

Reported by Ed Halverson 
E-mail: edhalversonnews@gmail.com
Twitter: @edwardhalverson

To listen to the broadcast of this story, press play below.