A major failure of the water sprinkler system inside Weyburn’s historic Signal Hill Arts Centre facility occurred over the weekend, and will take some time to clean up.
A statement from the City of Weyburn said the failure occurred on Friday evening, causing water damage to multiple floors of Signal Hill Arts Centre.
At this time, Signal Hill Arts Centre will be closed to the public and user groups to allow proper cleanup and repairs to take place.
An art exhibit by local artists, entitled “Winter in Saskatchewan”, had been scheduled to open on Monday, but that has now been cancelled while the cleanup work takes place.
All art that had been on display was removed from the gallery, sparing it from the water damage, and anyone that was affected by the water damage has been notified.
Weyburn Police Service, Weyburn Fire Department, Leisure Services, Public Works staff and local plumbers were on site shortly after the incident to assess the situation.
On the exterior, there is evidence of ice on two sides of the building, showing there was a lot of water flowing.
There has been no information as yet as to the extent of the damage, but cleanup crews on were also on the site through the weekend.
The building had served as Weyburn’s hospital for many years, then was Mount St. Mary’s, a long-term care facility, before it was converted into the Signal Hill Arts Centre.
With the Weyburn Recreation and Culture Centre under construction, the new facility is set to open by September 2021, and will replace much of the arts programs currently offered at Signal Hill, including galleries, a pottery studio and classroom space for arts programs.
