Online voting campaign seeks to save Canadian heritage buildings

The Old Coleman High School, in Coleman, Alta., is one of 12 finalists for the fourth annual Next Great Save campaign. (Supplied/Crowsnest Historical Society/Next Great Save)

Canadians can now vote for the next historic building to receive valuable funding to keep them going and an Alberta entry is on the list.

Canada’s Next Great Save, a campaign established by National Trust for Canada, is offering $65,000 in prize money to help restore and preserve historic places.

The organization, which is a leading charity dedicated to protecting and preserving heritage places, says the top prize is $50,000, second place is $10,000 and third place awards $5,000.

The winners are all decided by an online public vote, which opened on April 7.

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“Heritage places lie at the heart of Canada’s identity. They tell the stories that have shaped our communities,” said Dr. Patricia Kell, CEO of the National Trust for Canada, in a news release.

“In its fourth year, the Next Great Save brings together iconic sites from diverse parts of Canada – from lighthouse to ranch, school to mill, and more – all advancing projects to make them more resilient and sustainable.”

The Old Coleman High School in Coleman, Alta., is one of the 12 finalists selected for the voting process, which were all chosen because of their project’s unique community need.

The building, located within the Coleman National Historic Site, is operated by the Crowsnest Historical Society and houses the Crowsnest Museum and Archives.

Winning the competition would mean the group would have an easier time repairing its brick façade and ensure “a safe, climate-controlled environment for the museum’s vast archives.”

It would also help preserve the building’s multi-purpose community space.

“Post-restoration, the building will serve as a premier destination for researchers, school groups, and visitors, fulfilling the Next Great Save’s key goal of creating resilient heritage sites with tangible public benefits,” the project’s entry on the Next Great Save’s website said.

“This project transforms a vulnerable landmark into a thriving center for community connection, ensuring our unique coal mining narrative is told for another century.”

The Old Coleman High School was built in 1936 and showcases the standard “fire-resistant” school designs introduced by the province of Alberta in the 1920s and 30s.

It served students until the 1970s and was acquired by the Crowsnest Historical Society in 1983.

It now houses more than 60,000 artifacts and 200,000 photographs, which tell the story of Canada’s industrial heritage.

The full list of finalists include:

• Fort Point Lighthouse Interpretation Centre — Trinity, N.L.;
• Ancienne Église Sainte-Marie — Church Point, N.S.;
• Trinity Anglican Church — Digby, N.S.;
• Église Notre-Dame-des-Neiges — Trois-Pistoles, Que.;
• Fort Ingall — Témiscouata-sur-le-Lac, Que.;
• Missisquoi Museum – Cornell Mill — East Stanbridge, Que.;
• Backhouse Grist Mill — Port Rowan, Ont.;
• Niagara-on-the-Lake Museum — Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont.;
• St. John’s United Church — Brockville, Ont.;
• The Spire — Kingston, Ont.;
• Old Coleman High School — Coleman, Alta.; and
• 108 Mile Ranch Heritage Site — South Cariboo Region, B.C.

Canadians can cast votes once a day all the way up to the deadline, which is 11 a.m. on April 24.