The Yorkton courthouse is getting a facelift.
The Darlington Street property will be receiving touch-ups to its walls and roof in the coming months.
The building, which was built in 1921, is covered with bricks and Tyndall stone (a type of limestone). Due to their age and general wear-and-tear, they need repairs.
“There was quite a bit that needed attention,” said Andre Laberge, the Central Services Regional Director for southern Saskatchewan.
Laberge said the grout between the bricks was cracking.
The Tyndall stone will be cleaned. Gaps between the bricks will be filled with new mortar to prevent water infiltration. This process is called repointing.
Laberge said the building should be fine for another 15-20 years once the repointing is finished.
The project began this summer and it is scheduled to be completed on November 1.
“We’re trying to get done while the weather’s warm,” Laberge said.
CCR Construction Regina has the contract for the repointing project. Laberge said they have subbed out some of the work to locals.
The bricks and Tyndall stone aren’t the only parts of the building getting a makeover. The roof is being completely removed and refurnished. The courthouse’s basement will aslo receive a new boiler.
“[The boiler] was well past its life cycle,” Luberge said. “Today’s boilers are more efficient.”
The courthouse has experienced renovations since summer 2014, when its foundation was exposed and resealed. Construction crews started there and have worked their way up.
Laberge said once the repointing and roof replacement projects are finished, they will bring in a landscaper to add shrubs and flowers to the courthouse scenery. Laberge said this will probably happen in spring 2018.
