Southeast Calgary community centre closed due to mould

The Albert Park-Radisson Heights community centre in southeast Calgary has been closed after mould was discovered earlier in March.

The Albert Park-Radisson Heights Community Association board, which manages the centre, voted on March 9 to close the facility.

In a letter posted to its website, the board said air monitoring had “revealed fungal contamination in two portions of the facility may pose a health risk to some members of the public.”

The community centre, located at 1310 28 St. S.E., will be closed for up to 60 days, the board said in the letter.

Air quality testing done by a contractor showed the kitchen and basement storage areas have evidence of mould growth.

Councillor Gian-Carlo Carra said while the situation is unfortunate, it also presents an opportunity to reimagine the purpose of the community centre and how it’s paid for so that it doesn’t need to rely on public funding and volunteers to maintain it.

“The reality is, that old model of building a cheap, cinder-block box and expecting volunteer slave labour to maintain these assets [as they are] winding down, expecting government paychecks, that’s not the future,” Carra said. “The future is vibrant, mixed-use hubs that support themselves over time and real centres for community life.”

Carra said he believes the community centre could become a place that houses seniors and serves as a cultural space.

The board said it doesn’t know what caused the mould to build up in these areas. It is conducting more air quality testing in different parts of the building. The main hall, boardroom, upstairs office and downstairs lounge had not been initially tested, but the contractor will “target these areas to determine if they are fit for occupancy,” the letter said.

It is the responsibility of the board to remediate the mould issue, as it is the operator of the facility, the letter added.