Blood tribe starts from scratch with old school

The Blood Reserve's newest housing complex is almost 75 years old. The St. Paul Anglican Church Residential School, derelict and empty for more than a decade, has been given a new lease on life, as a student residence for Red C row Community College.

Built in 1924, the school was in extremely bad condition. The roof leaked in more places than it didn't. Floors were warped and weakened, stairways dangerous. Pigeons had come through the numerous broken windows, fouling almost every corner of the building.

"Essentially, we had to gut the structure and just start from scratch," said Marcel Portier, with Ledcor Industries and the construction superintendent for the project. "Except for the basic frame and brick work, it's like a new building now."

Portier, a 30-year veteran of construction work, said the building was given a new roof and dormers, new plumbing and electrical systems, new flooring, a new heating system, and new windows.

"Everything was done to commercial standards in terms of safety and security, but we also tried to keep the costs low. I think the design work is excellent."