Resident Says Restoring City Hall Bell A Grand Opportunity

If one city resident has his way the Downtown could be echoing with bells.

Resident Harold Claffey appeared in front of Council to voice his support for restoring the bell presently in the clock tower of City Hall as well as constructing a stand for the original bell. Claffey appeared before Council during the presentation of the minutes from the Heritage Advisory Committee.

In their minutes the Committee asked Council to consider spending $60,000 on two separate projects involving the clock tower at City Hall.

The first project would spend the maximum of $15,000 from the Heritage Reserve Account (funds raised for restoring the Natatorium) for a stand for the original City Hall bell. The bell, which for a time, stood by the Museum and Art Gallery in Cresecent Park has been restored by the efforts of individuals at Sask Polytech.

The second project would see a maximum of $45,000 spent from the Facilities Reserve Account to repair or replace the glass of City Hall’s clock and restore the replacement bell in the tower so it would ring. The bell has not rang since the early 1960’s.

Claffey said he was appearing at Council to “help clarify a few things about said bell and where it went and how it was sent there.”

Giving a history of the original bell’s journey he said following its removal from City Hall it was in the care and custody of St George’s Anglican Church at the corner of 10th Avenue NW and Montgomery Street.

“And they put it (the bell) on a stand at the Montgomery side entrance of the church where it was throughout my childhood. And kids being kids approximately at the wee small hours of the morning some of the finer young citizens of the city took it upon themselves to see if the bell worked. Henceforth the cord was shortened and put higher on the stand that was provided for it,” he said.

From its stand at St George’s Church it was moved to a stand in front of the Library and Art Museum where it remained for many years.

In the clock tower of City Hall there is a non-functioning bell the Hertiage Advisory Committee would like to see restored to functionality - MJ Independent file photo

“My point here is the churches of Moose Jaw are instrumental in preserving the heritage of Moose Jaw and still are. And if you decide to put this bell in the tower of City Hall there is one set of full octave bells in existence and in use in the entire prairie provinces of Canada and those are right over there at St Aidan Anglican Church. And those bells have been maintained and taken care of for many long years.”

Claffey sees the bells at St Aidans and the bells at City Hall, if the City chose to restore them would be unique and an opportunity.

“If both bells are restored and put into use here I am suggesting there could be a bell concert in Downtown Moose Jaw unlike that which would be available anywhere else on the Prairies. And you could ring the bells at City Hall the same time as the people of St Aidans would ring the bells…and Downtown Moose Jaw would be magnificent with the sound of bells.”

Claffey said he strongly supported the Heritage Advisory Committee’s recommendations..

Councillor Crystal Froese said there were actually two bells.

The bell resident Claffey had given a history about is best known for being on display in Crescent Park and the second one is presently hanging, but non-functional, in City Hall’s clock tower.

“There is actually a bell it is installed up there (in the City Hall clock tower). The bell inside the clock tower in order for it to ring part of this motion looks at the replacement and restoration of the glass in the clock face. It is in such disrepair there is fear if the bell was actually were to ring it would cause a lot of breakage which is a safety issue,” Councillor Froese said. “If you were to investigate the glass up there you would find it is in such disrepair it needs attention anyways.”

The motion had two separate parts dealing with two different bells and the use of reserve funds.

Since the motions would, if approved, make use of reserve funds Councillor Froese made a motion to refer the two proposed motions back to Administration for a report.

Restoring the bell in the City Hall clock tower so it would ring with a new electronically operated clapper was proposed in January 2019, at an approximate cost of $10,000, but at the time Council turned it down as it could not find any member of Council to second it. The issue was referred to Administration at that time due to safety concerns arising from the bolts holding the bell in its place and the problem, if any, has been rectified.

SEE RELATED - City Hall’s Bell To Remain Silent

With two motions the issue of the two bells was referred to Administration for reports at a later date.