The Town of Peace River has announced the purchase of a new Town Hall building, due to the old facility being called “out of date” by officials.
Town representatives call the purchase a significant step toward enhancing the accessibility and overall functionality of municipal services.
The old facility, the beloved Clocktower Town Hall, previously served as a provincial building and bank and has been the heart of Peace River’s municipal government for half a century.
According to the town, the old building’s design and infrastructure have begun to fall short of meeting the needs of the municipality. The town says the clocktower has a “complete lack of accessibility” for residents with disabilities, insufficient room to serve the public, and inadequate space to function as a proper Emergency Coordination Centre; a vital component of the town’s ability to serve as an evacuation site due to the region’s increased wildfire activity.
Peace River Mayor Elaine Manzer spoke on the accessibility piece of the purchase, saying accessibility is a “prerequisite” for democracy.
“The new Town Hall building will substantially increase our capacity to function as a government and will be fully accessible to the public and staff.”
As a result, the town administration and council deemed it prudent to purchase a new facility instead of continuing to invest in costly renovations to bring the current Town Hall to standard.
The location of the new Town Hall was purposeful, officials say, as it is in a central location on Main Street, just a block north from the current location.
The Town took possession of the new building on July 31st, which was purchased for $1.05 million. Plans to move in are scheduled for sometime in “early 2025.”
