Belcourt Centre future still undecided

Some Rustico, Prince Edward Island residents are lobbying the Catholic diocese of Charlottetownto save what they call an historic building in their community.

The Belcourt Centre was originally built in the 1880s and rebuilt after a fire in the 1930s. During that time it has served as a school and a convent. For the past 40 years it has served as a retreat centre, run by the diocese.

Gerry Gabriel with the diocese says the centre is old, has asbestos issues and is in desperate need of repairs.

He says an island family has left a generous donation for the Belcourt Centre. The diocese is now debating whether to renovate the building or tear it down and build a new one.

Resident Judy MacDonald hope they save it.

I think you would be taking something away from the people of Rustico, she said. I think it's part of their heritage.

Art Buote agrees and says the history has to be preserved.

You still have a lot of the descendants of the original people that were here in the community, he said. Most of these people have gone to school here.

No decisions made yet

Gabriel says no decisions have been made yet.

An advisory committee is seriously looking at that (preserving), and that's an option, he said. Is it etched in stone? I'm not sure.

Buote and MacDonald say they just want their voices heard.

Buote has written a letter to the bishop demanding a public meeting.

This has been done behind closed doors, and we're very concerned with that, he said. This is something very dear to our community.

MacDonald says she has valuable knowledge the diocese can use.

I'd love the opportunity to speak with them, and I know that I've dealt with buildings with asbestos in them, she said. There's ways to deal with those issues.

Gabriel says the advisory committee is relying on the input of project managers and engineers to make their decision. He says there is one decision that has been made: the building's history isn't an important factor.

Our diocesan historian and archivist advised that it really does not have that kind of historical significance, he said.

The diocese says it will hold a meeting in November, at which point it will tell the public whether it plans to demolish and rebuild the Belcourt Centre or renovate the building.