A Vancouver Island lodge that was saved from demolition in 2020 is among 12 historic sites in a contest to receive money to restore the heritage site.
St. Andrews Lodge in Qualicum Beach was an accommodation for vacationers that opened in 1938 and was run for 80 years by Simon Mure Little and his family.
The lodge was set to be demolished in 2020 after it was acquired by the Town of Qualicum Beach two years before. The building was estimated at the time to need $545,000 worth of repairs and upgrades.
Residents protested the demolition and saved it.
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And now, the lodge is part of the Next Great Save contest, which gives three prizes to heritage sites that receive the most votes to go towards saving and restoring the sites.
“The Society recently received a federal grant of $211,000, which will cover the cost of seismic upgrades. However, there is still much to be done and the Society needs to raise even more money,” Shirley Culpin, a board member of St. Andrews Lodge, said in an email.
First prize is worth $50,000, second prize is worth $10,000 and third prize is worth $5,000.
Online voting for the contest opened on April 18 and St. Andrews Lodge is currently in sixth place with 2,168 votes.
First place is La Salle Theatre in Kirkland Lake, Ontario, with 5,599 votes.
Votes can be placed on the Next Great Save website, and people can vote once per day for the duration of the contest.
Last year, another Island heritage site was the first place winner of the contest.
The Duncan Train Station was the winner, with more than 200,000 votes cast for all 10 competitors.
READ PREVIOUS: Duncan Train Station nabs first-place prize in historic restoration competition
Laura Brougham
