Warm spring weather is helping workers make good progress on the outside upgrades to 70 Mile House Community Hall.
In fact, they are getting closer to completing Phase 1 of the project.
70 Mile House Community Club chair Ken Huber says this is really good news, noting it has taken almost two years to get to this point because of the COVID pandemic.
Thompson-Nicola Regional District Capital Projects and Facilities manager Ian Dalgleish said the roofer still has to remove the existing roofing and re-sheath the front hall with plywood as well as install the membrane and new metal roofing.
In a couple of weeks, the log re-finisher will start stripping the community hall logs and re-staining them. The log treatment anticipated to be done by mid-June.
The inside HVAC furnace work is finished, while the groundwork - final grading around the exterior and concrete pads at the doors - will begin when it dries out a bit more. The electrician has some exterior lighting to put up, at which point Phase one will be complete, Dalgleish said.
Meanwhile, Velós Pontinen is putting the final touches on the building’s gable ends. He also installed the James Hardie siding on the gable ends.
Huber said it’s amazing how bright it is in the main hall with the natural light streaming through the two windows at each of the two gable ends.
He’s not sure when crews plan to start Phase 2, which will include more work on the kitchen, washrooms, floors, painting the bathroom and kitchen walls and upgrading the interior lighting. However, he said he hopes the whole project is completed in time to hold the Redneck Flea Market and Craft Sale on July 3 to inject some money into the Community Club’s coffers.
“It might have to be held outdoors, but the weather is often nice that weekend,” he said.
Huber also encourages people to buy the club’s 50/50 tickets because “we’re running out of money.” Tickets are available at SMAC and the 70 Mile General Store.
Huber notes the Community Club kept the lights on during the upgrade project and received a $1,600 hydro bill for two months.
“We have no revenue projects going on. We have no income, and that’s what this is about … keeping the doors open.”
SMAC update
Seventy Mile Access Centre spokesperson Kathleen Judd said activity has been steady since they changed opening hours last week to two days per week.
“There’s nothing new. We’re just rolling along.”
The next big change for SMAC will happen on the May long weekend when the facility will be open three days a week – Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays – from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Judd would like to remind people who are dropping off donations to take them to the back and go to the gym entrance door.
“The door will be open and there will be someone on duty there.”
She added they are receiving a lot of donations. “We’re back on track.”
newsroom@100milefreepress.net
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.