“We’re doing what we set out to do, save the building.”
Bathed in brilliant sunlight, where two hours previously wind and rain had buffeted
the grounds, Alma College provided a glorious backdrop Saturday as Brian Squires
of Alma Heritage Estates welcomed several dozen invited guests to an official
yearbook signing ceremony. The occasion was to “commemorate the start of
a new year for Alma Heritage Estates and Alma College.”
It also gave Squires the opportunity to offer a preview of his concept for an
“exclusive independent retirement community” to be housed on the grounds
of the former school for girls. According to Squires’ plans, Alma Heritage
Estates will consist of 66 retirement suites in the main building, which dates
back to 1877, with the potential for another 300 units in two apartment complexes
to be built on the south end of the property.
Work won’t begin in the main building until March, but a sales presentation
office will open in the former music building by the end of October, said Squires.
“We’ll have some early-bird sales for a few months and we’ll
have our official launch come spring. The tours that we ran this summer showed
there is a lot of interest,” said Squires, adding, “We’re doing
what we set out to do, save the building.”
“This is something the whole community is looking forward to seeing come
to fruition,” praised Mayor Jeff Kohler. “This is something that is
going to benefit St. Thomas for a long time.”
Ald. Heather Jackson-Chapman, city council’s representative on the Municipal
Heritage Committee (MHC), said her group was relieved to “see something
done before it is too late.” “We see progress with all the work being
done on the property. I know personally I’m receiving a lot of calls about
it. There are a lot of excited people in the community. And the building is
going to stand. And that’s what the driving force behind the municipal
heritage committee was. To see the building intact and see something done before
it is too late.”
In April of this year the MHC, under former chairman Diana Player, had petitioned
city council to proceed with a stop-work order at Alma College citing violations
of the Ontario Heritage Act. Ald. Terry Shackelton noted once the politicians
stepped out of the picture, “the project has moved ahead fairly quickly.”
Said Shackelton, “It’s time to take politics out of the process. And
we noticed that with this project. Once the politicians weren’t involved,
the project has moved ahead fairly quickly. And this is great for Alma, and
it’s great for St. Thomas. It’s going to be beautiful and it’s
almost right in the core.”
Barb McCallum, past-president of the Alma College Alumnae Association, said
she looks forward to the day when her association can meet once again at the
Moore Street address. “We would love to be back on the grounds because
it is such a beautiful setting. It would be very memorable for the alumnae to
be back on the grounds and see it back to life again.”
“I am personally delighted that they are going forward,” added Lara
Leitch, a vice-principal at Alma in the 1980s. “And they are going to reinstate
the building to its former glory, because it used to be glorious. We had people
coming here from all over the world.”
A photo of Brain Squires and Mayor Jeff Kohler appeared with the article, with the following caption:
St. Thomas Mayor Jeff Kohler, left, signs the official yearbook Saturday at Alma College following a welcoming address from Brian Squires of Alma Heritage Estates. The occasion allowed Squires to preview his concept for a retirement community on the grounds of the former school for girls. (T-J photo)
