Blackie Hall closure a mutual decision

There's been some opposition to demolishing the Blackie Community Hall over the last couple of weeks.

However Foothills County Reeve Delilah Miller says she understands residents sentimental attachment to it, but it's just not up to code.

"We have done extensive community engagement around the new Blackie Hub and it was supported by the Blackie Lions Club as far as we were aware and the hall, because of the state of disrepair that it is in and some foundation concerns and lots of other concerns with that old community hall it was thought by the community that either looking for a new spot or when we had the opportunity to partner with the Foothills School Division we all came up with the solution to do what was called a hub where that contains the school, a library and the new Blackie Community Hall," she explained.

Miller says beside the foundation issues there's concern about asbestos so to upgrade it would cost the community and Foothills a lot of money.

There have been concerns the school division wouldn't want events where liquor is sold in one of their buildings but Miller says that's not a problem.

"We did do a memorandum of understanding with Foothills School Division around those types of events and they have been approved, we are working on tightening that up a bit with any new principals that would come into the community that may have a different opinion so we're looking at getting an other agreement in place just to protect any events that want to occur there."

She says the newly modernized school includes a full commercial kitchen.

There have been suggestions of things like a community garden or a play area on the site of the old hall and Miller says the County's open to looking at that.

The newly modernized Blackie School includes a full commercial kitchen and will take over hosting big events like wedding receptions.