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Canada firefighters may get old school

By Lynn Hotaling
Local school officials appear poised to give the old Canada School to that community's firefighters if the property can be used for recreation as well.

Two representaives from the Canada Volunteer Fire Department - Chief Steve Luker and Ed Riley - asked members of Jackson County's school board Monday (Jan. 24) to donate the property.

The old school itself is useless, Riley said, and should be torn down. "The building that remains is a disaster," Riley said. "The windows are gone, the doors are wide open and the roof leaks. It's a hazard, and we'd like to see something done about it." The firefighters want the property for additional parking for their fundraisers, for community recreation and for a helicopter landing pad in the event of a medical emergency. Board members seemed amenable to the plan but wanted negotiations to include input from the Jackson County Recreation Department.

Often there are recreation grants that can be applied for if property is in the county's name, said school board member Ali Laird-Large. "We don't want to cut off that property to recreation," she said.

"I think we all want it to be used for recreation," said board member Ray Trine. It was agreed that Superintendent Frank Burrell would meet with recreation and fire department representatives to pursue the matter further.

Canada firefighters initially requested the property in February 1999. At that time the school board took no action because non-profit Catch the Spirit of Appalachia was interested in the old school as well.

Back to Archive: 01/27/00.