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Kinsmen Band hall primed for major renovation

Apr 18, 2017 | 6:00 AM

The North Battleford City Kinsmen Band Building is getting primed for $300,000 in major renovations starting in May.

The facility, at 1801-104 Street, south of the Civic Centre, has been at the current location since 1980 and is in need of repairs.  

North Battleford City Kinsmen Band Association Inc. president David Dekker, also a musician who plays clarinet in the community band, gave North Battleford city council an update on plans for the hall upgrades at council’s recent meeting.

“We’re all very excited,” said the president about the hall upgrades. “This is something we have been talking about for a number of years.”

In 2016, the Kinsmen board renewed a 25-year lease with the city to use the facility, so it was a fitting time for it to plan for the upgrades.

As part of the reno project, workers will be moving the rehearsal stage from the north-west side of the building to the north side to allow for more seating, and improve acoustics.

Crews will also be removing a large storage area that is no longer needed. The washrooms will also be upgraded and modernized.

The venue’s windows and roof will be updated using more energy efficient materials. Organizers will also be painting the building exterior.

Dekker said there will be “lots of other work inside the building, just to improve the facility.”

The hall will also have new ceiling tiles installed.

“It will make it a better facility for all of us to use – all our bands,” Dekker said.

Making the upgrades in the space for the rehearsal hall will also help improve the sound in the room overall.

“We want to make sure the acoustics and the lighting are correct,” added the president.

Workers will also replace the old light fixtures with an LED system.

The full budget for the project is about $300,000.

Dekker hopes to complete the work before the September long weekend. Since the bands take a break during the summer the project shouldn’t interfere with any rehearsals planned.

“The timing is perfect,” said Dekker. “We will be bringing everything up to modern standards.”

While the Kinsmen Band association already has funding for the project, raised mainly from prior fundraiser concerts, it also will be having a garage sale on April 29 at the hall between 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to add to the pot.

“We have some money set aside, but we are also going to be selling some of the old inventory – some of the old instruments we no longer need, and some the old tables and chairs,” said Dekker.

Dekker added the band association has been managed well through previous boards of directors in the past, too, so has the funds available to complete the renovation work.

“It will be up to us to find funding for any extras we might add,” added Dekker.

“We have received a tremendous amount of support from the community, and we hope that continues.”

The association has three bands – beginner, intermediate and senior. It also operates three additional bands: the student concert band, the student jazz band, and a strings band.

Upcoming, the senior band will perform at the Dekker Centre on May 7. The beginner and intermediate bands play at the band hall May 3.

 

angela.brown@jpbg.ca

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