Usually the first thing that comes to my waking mind is: what day is it? Lately, what pops into my head is the city wants to sell Signal Hill.

Why am I so upset about the attempt to sell the building? To begin with, it is always the possibility that someone would purchase it with demolition in mind, which was the case at one time.

Secondly, there is a lot of history tied up in that building. It provides a historical and cultural focal point to the whole set-up in that area.

Recapping some of the history that lies behind this building, which at one time Dr. Fergus Eaglesham claimed that the building had a heart: It was built as the first General hospital in Weyburn in 1912. The story goes that they only had one fireman, and when he was off duty, if more heat was required, the Matron went down and shoveled coal. Another feature was that it provided a nurses' training school. There are other stories too numerous to mention.

When the city decided to build a new hospital, this one was purchased by the Catholic church and operated as a home for elderly people. It was operated by the Sisters as Mount St. Mary.

When the Weyburn Nursing Corporation was set up, they purchased the building from the Sister for 50 dollars, I believe. At this point, the Mormon Church wanted to purchase the building to demolish it and build a church. Those who felt it should be preserved as a heritage building, along with others who wanted to use it as an art centre, decided to apply for a federal government grant of $50,000, which the government provided and the city once again became owners of the building.

Many volunteers spent a great deal of time and work during the initial stages. People like Marcia Day, who went to work in her old clothes, sometimes worked in cold and wet weather when there was no heat. Of course, the city has spent money renovating over the years to suit the needs of the artists. Most cultural facilities do not generate sufficient funds to operate, and Signal Hill is no different than the library, leisure and sports centres, and museums.