The Cold Lake High School is looking into options to add a little privacy to its front entrance at the Energy Centre. As it is, the front desk faces out into the main part of the busy recreational facility which can be trying for staff at times, explains Northern Lights Communications Officer, Nicole Garner.  “We have been looking at modifying that area of the school since March 2010, which was shortly after the school opened. We did a few small modifications, but the cost of totally modifying that area and putting in a glass wall, instead of having it open to the Energy Centre is estimated at $200,000.”

The money would come at the division expense, explains Garner, “that has to come out of a pot of money that we get from the government, Infrastructure Maintenance Renewal Funding (IMR). Basically, we get that on an annual basis and it has to be used for smaller renovation projects or maintenance of our facility. So, replacing flooring, replacing roofing, mechanical or electrical upgrades. All the on-going maintenance issues.”

The problem is the amount of funding given is small and there are many schools, with many maintenance projects that the money must be divided between. “One of the reasons it hasn’t been done already is the amount of money we have and what the other priorities have been, this hasn’t made its way to the top of the priorities yet.” To help get it higher on the list, Garner explains there will be a review, “it’s going to be included as part of the facility review, which the board is going to be looking at when preparing their capital plan.”

The City of Cold Lake is working on Phase III of the Energy Centre, but there are some steps before the board approaches the City, explains Garner, “we’re aware that the City is looking to making some changes to that area and perhaps discussion would take place.”

“There’s a lot of traffic through there, it’s not necessarily very quiet in there,” which can be hard on the staff to perform their duties, says Garner, “and people coming into the Energy Centre often ask our staff question regarding the facility and our staff needs to redirect them.”