The highest-value building permit issued by the City of Sault Ste. Marie in December was for $1.6 million in renovation work at the Sault Ste. Marie Métis Heritage Centre at 136 John St.
City building staff say the renovations will include non-load-bearing partitions and windows, as well as mechanical and electrical upgrades.
Officially opened last October in the former Church of St. John the Evangelist, the Heritage Centre is a permanent home for the stories and legacy of the Sault's Métis community.
Stephen Gjos, president of the Historic Sault Ste. Marie Métis Council, says the Heritage Centre buildings were constructed on land once occupied by a fur-trading post.
"The company sold the land to the Anglican Church and the church hall and rectory were built on top of the grave sites," Gjos said in a recent release.
"This land was turned back over to the Métis Nation as a form of reconciliation and is now a space for our stories to be told."
Mitch Case, region councillor with the Huron-Superior Regional Métis Community, says both the former church and the memorial hall next door will be getting upgrades.
"Taking two buildings that are 125 and 106 years old is no small undertaking," Case tells SooToday.
"Renovations include upgrading the HVAC systems, insulation of the walls and ceilings (100 years ago they didn't care as much about that), upgrading the kitchen, accessibility upgrades to both buildings including washrooms etc, high-efficiency lighting, flooring, new drywall etc, and replacing the old windows with high efficiency."
"These renovations will have a huge impact on the energy consumption, costs, environmental impact, and will make the site accessible to all.
"These $1.6 million in renovations are just part of the investment by the Historic Sault Ste Marie Métis Council and the Métis Nation of Ontario into the site.
"Other investments have been previously reported, including the development of the permanent exhibits, the virtual database, with support from Heritage Canada. And the early learning space, and previous renovations at the program and services hub (the house) on the site.
"For a community with deep historical ties to the Downtown of Sault Ste Marie, we are proud not only to make these investments for the good of our Métis citizens, but to invest locally, in our shared neighbourhoods is more important than ever," Case said.
Other major building permits issued in December included.
- a new single-family dwelling worth $1.5 million on Fourth Line West
- a $585 000 installation of solar panels at the Sault Transit garage at 111 Huron St.
- $700,000 worth of renovations for Algoma University at 1416 Wellington St. East
- $150,000 to renovate an existing corridor for a new mall entrance at Market Mall, 275 Second Line