STUART WOOD – Public invited to rally to save city’s iconic heritage school
Stuart Wood School. (Image: Mel Rothenburger)
Residents concerned about the future of Stuart Wood school are invited to a rally at the school yard on Saturday, Oct. 31, at 10 a.m.
City council’s recent vote to explore the school property as a potential site for a new police station would result in the demolition of the 120-year-old heritage building and the loss of a much-used playground and green space in the heart of the downtown.
Concerned citizens are appealing to anyone who cares about the school, heritage and culture in the city to join the rally. There will be speakers — Mel Rothenburger, Nancy Bepple, Ken Favrholdt and Greg Unger — as well as a chance for those who attended the school to share their memories, and for those who care about heritage to speak as well.
There will be ribbons to tie around the school fence and Halloween candy for kids.
The event is a grassroots initiative by individual citizens, but those who are interested are being invited to consider forming a Friends of Stuart Wood group to better co-ordinate efforts to save the school.
Opened in 1907, Stuart Wood was the third school in Kamloops and it is now the oldest surviving school in the city. Ownership has reverted back to the province since it closed in 2016 but the City of Kamloops and Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc signed a letter of understanding in 2019 around Stuart Wood to plan for its future, as well as to promote and protect cultural heritage sites.
Currently used as a shelter and meeting space, with the school yard used by downtown day cares, Farmers’ Market and families, Stuart Wood needs proper attention and soon, say rally organizers.
“The foundation is crumbling and heating/plumbing infrastructure is inadequate. Ten years have passed since the school closed, and the building has been left to deteriorate.
“The time to develop a firm plan for Stuart Wood’s future is now; given the complicated oversight of the building, it will take time for any work to move forward. This is not the first effort to save Stuart Wood, but there needs to be a commitment and action so that this will be the last.”
When Kamloops was in its infancy, our young graduates, many from Stuart Wood School, gave their lives for our freedoms.
The Memorial Cenotaph, looks down to the playground and sits next to Stuart Wood School. This detail is important to Remember on Nov 11th.
The First Principal’s son, Norman Clark Wood, was Killed in action, Sept 1918. Wood street is named in his honour.
WWI – 189 boys from Kamloops were killed in action.
WWII – 93 local boys gave their life.
WE need to have a Military March from the Cenotaph to Riverside Park to remind people of the significance of why that memorial sits beside Stuart Wood School.
How shocking is it to see a “land development strategy” to leave a Heritage Building uncared for, only to wait for an opportunity to demolish. What kind of a community have we become?
The Planning Department with the City of Kamloops completed the work to make it a Heritage Building. What a coincidence this is, for our new Mayor. The “Build Kamloops” machine is looking for free land to offset the cost of their builds.
An RCMP building should not sit, tucked into the west end of the downtown core, with one-way streets on either side. Why doesn’t the city look to the BC Government Precinct on the corner of 6th and Columbia. Lobby our new Conservative Government to provide this FREE space to our city. Currently a large garage with a small post office is on this land. Unused space in 40 years.
As was suggested by Nelly Dever, the Bay Building in the Aberdeen Mall. Quick access to the freeway, major roads in Kamloops and lots of parking. Just two of many choices.
Stuart Wood Elementary has been, as they say “sat on” awaiting an opportunity. Little care given to its exterior, or to renovating over time.
This school has so much potential, (Daycare for RIH, community use for Seniors, the arts community, continuing to feed less fortunate people…..
It is now up to the people of Kamloops to decide if we respect and honour our past or if it is to be demolished. What kind of community do we want to become? What do we value? Green Space for our city’s densification plan and children seems to have hit the bottom rung of a ladder.
Carman-Anne Schulz,
Founding member of the Sagebrush Neighbourhood Association.
I remember when Cowan Park sat uncared for, to be developed.
That “bad” seed brought to life a COMMUNITY!
I hope Stuart would will ignite a desire to restore this Heritage building and honour its past.
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First of all, it is a very poor choice of locations for a new RCMP location! 2 one-way streets (3rd and Seymour st’s) very close by, Heritage neighbourhood right beside it on the west side, and residential and downtown neighbourhoods to the East. Just Picture, a major catastrophic accident or event. A dozen or more RCMP vehicles need to respond to any event. Certainly not quickly from this location and most likely putting many people at risk in the area if they are doing so.. And almost constant sirens blasting through the downtown Densley populated areas 24/7 365.
Secondly, we have very few heritage buildings in Kamloops, and this is our biggest best and a major showpiece and attraction pulling people there for an admiring look!
3rd, it is a major part of the weekly Farmers market appeal, which is one of the community attractions bringing many people into the downtown core for about 8-9 months of the year every Saturday.
4th, this building could be repurposed in many different ways. One that could be added to Stuart wood, could be a downtown daycare with a big epiphysis on servicing as a RIH employees children’s daycare, as well as downtown working folks with children also of daycare age. It is 1 block from the Front doors of RIH! We want to attract medical people to Kamloops, GIVE THEM WHAT THEY ARE LOOKING FOR! They need a close and coinvent daycare 5 days a week, and a performing arts center a few times a year!
I will close with a couple of thoughts on future RCMP placements.
Let’s think about firefighting response times as a comparison. Do we have all our fire trucks and personnel in a central location? No, we don’t and we all know the reason is faster response times to all areas of Kamloops and outlying areas and neighbourhoods. Why do’s we take a similar approach to RCMP placements. Provincial land at 6th and Columbia area. Put another satellite office and staging area for responses there. They are 1 block from the current RCMP main building. A larger RCMP building on the North shore to serve the north side of town. Revamp or add to the original RCMP building adjacent to Aberdeen mall and the highways are 30 seconds away. Lets think a bit out of the box folks, and try and come up with better coverage, quicker responce times, less intrusion on our downtown which is our most populated area in Kamloops. And tearing down our current RCMP building on 6th ave is not much more that 20 years old and should last another 75 years easily. Add some satellite RCMP stations, and plan for the future of Kamloops.
Thank you, Reid
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It could become a school again even without all the amenities modern parents and educators “demand”. I would support, without hesitation, such decision. A gathering place or a community centre idea would be wrong, hence wasteful, imo.
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Thanks for info about the Stuart Wood School rally. I would like to see the building become a lifelong learning and a gathering site for all members of the community. We could see it used from early morning to evenings 7 days a week.
Consider the building with a child care centre, a space for classes offered by first nations about the history and culture of local bands, daytime classes by Kamloops Adult Learners Society in the multi topics they offer each semester http://www.kals.ca http://www.kals.ca , perhaps some TRU classes off campus integrated with some of the other learning, Kamloops history by local organizations and more. Renovations will cost money but building community will pay dividends money canât buy.
See you on October 31 at 10am.
Lois Hollstedt, C.M.
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I certainly support the idea that was floated a short while ago about upgrading Stuart Wood School so that it could be opened as a school once again. If the provincial government will do this for a school at the coast and preserve heritage buildings there, surely it can be done here, too. I won’t be in Kamloops on Oct. 31, but I certainly support the idea of updating and renovating the building into a school again.
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