The recent announcement of a joint school project in Moose Jaw has left both school divisions excited for a facility upgrade, but there are a number of questions that remain regarding the details of the project. One of these questions concerns the future of the Empire School building.
Empire School is currently a non-designated municipal heritage building. It was built in 1910 to house the growing needs of an expanding population on South Hill. It is the only one of the four schools involved in the consolidation — Sacred Heart, St. Mary School, and Westmount — that is of such a vintage.
The building of a new, amalgamated school in South Hill will leave Empire’s building empty and in need of a purpose, which the Heritage Advisory Committee is already concerned about.
“We just want to make sure we don't end up with an empty heritage building, and we want to have a better understanding of the state and the condition that the building is in, and maybe some of the concerns the school division has with the actual building,” said Crystal Froese, council representative on the Heritage Advisory Committee.
Riverview Collegiate sits directly next to Empire School, and Froese expressed interest as to whether the building may be integrated onto Riverview’s campus.
“Riverview sits right next to Empire and we're wondering if that's being as utilized as much as it can. What will happen to Empire — do they have ideas about changing that to some other usable space if they're not using it as a school anymore?” said Froese.
The main concern comes from a place of sentimentality; Empire is a heritage building that has been a part of the community for 100 years and is a South Hill landmark.
“It has a very strong history and, architecturally, its a beautiful school,” said Froese. “It's an old building, so there will be lots of people with lots of memories of going to school there.”
Prairie South School Division currently owns the building and will decide what happens to it after it is empty.
An introductory open house will shed more light on the new school project. It will be held on Mar. 28 at Riverview Collegiate, at 7 p.m.
“Even though this is happening on South Hill, its part of the whole city's school system so it's important for everyone to know and be involved,” said Froese. “I just encourage more people to come out and find out more information.”
