SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 059
Unchagah Hall Gets Grant For Upgrade

This past week  School District #59, South Peace River was contacted by the B.C. Community Gaming Capital Project Grant. There were advised their efforts to create a legacy that will benefit British Columbia's communities was approved. The grant was approved for $250,000 and the upgrades to the facility will be conducted over the next 7-8 months.

The Unchagah Hall is a community performance auditorium housed in the South Peace Campus of Dawson Creek Secondary School. It serves a dual purpose in Dawson Creek as both a high school performance stage and a venue for public functions. 

It was built in 1968 and still sports the original auditorium seating that was installed at inception. These seats are now 50 years old! They are at the end of their life. They have been recovered at least twice. Replacement parts are no longer available. These 620 seats are falling apart and can no longer be pieced together. A Capital Projects Grant is being requested to cover the installation of new theatre style seating in Unchagah Hall. 

50 years ago, accessibility was not a consideration when placing seating in a sloped auditorium. Unchagah Hall has a sloped floor from the public entrance all the way down to the stage. In replacing the original seating, it only makes sense to renovate to include a built-in floor space that would add wheelchair access and parking within the performance hall. 

The access to from within Dawson Creek Secondary School to Unchagah Hall has a stairway and requires a code conforming ramp be constructed so students and patrons with mobility issues have easy access from the high school into the theatre. 

In addition, the bathrooms for Unchagah Hall were built prior to accessibility being a construction requirement. It is logical to renovate and install wheelchair accessible bathrooms for students and patrons. 

The PAC was successful  in securing the $250,000 Capital Project Grant to a matched $250,000 from School District 59 Peace River South in order to upgrade Unchagah Hall.