With police cracking down on non-students misusing the Trail Selkirk College campus since last year, COVID-19 appears to be the proverbial “straw that broke the camel’s back” because the building is now under lock-and-key 24/7.
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Although the college locked some entrances several years back and re-routed foot traffic to specific doors Monday to Friday, until recently, the main doors were left open to the public on weekdays.
Since the start of classes last month, full-time students have been issued key cards.
And now, there’s an intercom system installed at the main door on Helena Street as well as the entrance on Cedar Avenue - meaning all visitors must call to enter.
Or, in the case of deliveries, the person must buzz in to be greeted at the door by staff.
“During this time of Covid, the Greater Trail Community and Arts Centre has kept is main doors closed to the general public and replaced its locks with a key card system,” regional manager Mark Daines told the Times.
“I’m sure you can understand that we are in a position to protect the health and safety of our staff and tenants in the facility,” he said.
“So far we have been able to put together a safety plan that is working very well for all of us who work, recreate and learn in this facility.”
This latest development regarding beefed-up security in downtown Trail comes at a time when the Concerned Citizens of Trail committee is working non-stop to keep issues of safety and security at the forefront.
The committee met with Trail council this summer to voice their concerns as well as safety and security viewpoints they have heard from members of the community.
Now, the committee encourages everyone to speak up in a survey that has launched online.
The specific link is: https://my.thoughtexchange.com/217715989.
Respondents will be asked to answer a few simple questions before sharing their thoughts in this exchange.
All responses will be shared with other participants but identities will be kept confidential.
“Your participation is confidential,” the committee reiterated. “Signing up will not disclose which thoughts are yours, and your information will never be shared with third parties.”
The Greater Trail Community Centre was established in 1988. The building was the former home of the Trail Junior School which closed in 1982 and remained vacant for three years. Since the building did not meet fire or other building code standards, it could not be used by the general public.
A study was undertaken by the building’s owners, the Regional District of Kootenay Boundary in 1985; and the following year, the building committee recommended a $3 million renovation project.
Today the building houses Selkirk College, the VISAC Gallery, the Seniors Centre (until December), The Bailey Theatre and Muriel Griffiths Room, the Trail Gym Club and the Trail and District Arts Council.
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