The Canmore Miners’ Union Hall is one of the last remnants of the town’s coal mining history and over the next few months the building will be renovated to celebrate that history while also increasing its presence as a centre for the arts.
Last Friday (April 12), a matching provincial grant of $125,000 was presented to the Pine Tree Players, the theatre group that uses the hall, to complete exterior renovations.
Banff-Cochrane MLA Ron Casey presented the Community Facility Enhancement grant from the Ministry of Culture and congratulated the various volunteers who were part of preserving this piece of Canmore history.
“This is very much a representation of Canmore’s past, so it’s nice to see it being upgraded and brought back to at least its original look,” Casey said. “The Union Hall has always been the place where the community got together.
“It’s a good community effort,” he added. “So much has been done by volunteers. Every time they need to do something people step up and help out. It’s great to see it carry on.”
According to Union Hall facility manager Bob Snape, renovations will start in the coming weeks and be completed before the annual Canmore Miners’ Day celebration in July.
“The shell of this building will come off and it’s being replaced by a bevel cedar siding,” Snape said about the renovation project. “The roofline will be changed because the peaks in the roof were add-ons in 1982.
“All the porches, decks and the wheelchair accessibility ramp will come off the building and be replaced,” he continued. “There will be new doors and a landscaping component as well.”
The management committee representing the Union Hall has been working on this project in conjunction with the Pine Tree Players since first submitting a proposal to Town council in summer 2011.
After receiving an anonymous donation worth $100,000, the group received the green light from the Town, which bought the hall in 1994, to go ahead with renovations and start applying for matching grants.
From the theatre group’s perspective, the project will improve the look of the building from which to operate and increase awareness of the Town’s vibrant arts scene.
“The Miners’ Union Hall is a landmark in Canmore and this is a sign of the commitment and respect the Town gives to its historical landmarks and a sign of commitment in working with the community,” said Adam Zelmer, vice-president of the Pine Tree Players board.
“The grant makes a huge difference to the promotion to not just the theatre in the community, but also the arts in general,” he added. “This gives us the tools to really build a house for those arts and theatre to exist in.”
Once renovations are complete, the facility manager also noted, the hall will help in shedding light on what was the Town’s main industry for almost a century before the last mines ceased operation in 1978.
“It’s going to be a really large contributor to letting visitors and newcomers to Canmore understand a little bit more of where Canmore came from,” Snape said. “We’ve saved this building many times and we now know this building will never leave.
“It’s serviced the community for 100 years and we’re hoping it will continue to do that,” he added. “People will, in their historic walks in the community, come see this building more than they’ve ever done before.”
