The courthouse in Saint Andrews could soon be in the hands of the Saint Andrews Civic Trust.
Built in 1840, the courthouse has sat vacant since 2016, when the province shut the building down. It was, according to the town, the oldest serving courthouse in Canada.
It was designated a national historic site in 1983.
But, over time, the building has fallen into a bit of disrepair. Back in September 2024, the town received a quote to remove old lead paint to the tune of about $300,000. The roof also requires repairs for an additional $50,000.
The council has said the building is a bit of a burden tax-wise. The municipality is responsible for paying for its property tax – totalling $20,500, according to 2025 budget documents. During the transition, the provincial government did provide $25,000 in funding each year, but according to those budget documents, it still costs the taxpayers a little more than $7,500 and the funding expires this year.
Those costs are expected to balloon to more than $33,000 in 2026.
In the end, the courthouse hasn’t been used in years, apart from being home to the SACT. Back in February, it presented an hour-long presentation of what it intended to do with the building.
The council has begun the negotiations to hand the courthouse over to the SACT. The organization, which is non-profit, did ask if there could be some sort of short-term support from the town.
At the time, former mayor Brad Henderson said there likely would be, but with an expiration date.
“In January 2024, SACT began a four-phase approach to gather ideas and present a vision to the council,” said James Geneau, Vice President of SACT at the time. “Not surprisingly, no submission provided a single solution.”
SACT said it would need to make access enhancements, especially for accessibility, within the limits of the building’s historical designation. The new enhancements could include a second entrance and public washrooms.
It would also add “social enhancements,” which would include upgrading technology, like WiFi, and space within the courthouse.
It is proposing changing the judges chambers into a community board room and the other into a community game room.
SACT also presented to the council that one section could become the official tourism visitor centre and gift shop. It proposed a public display case and potentially historical reenactments inside the courthouse.
Geneau did explain that while they got no indication the province intends to restore it as a courthouse, the technology upgrades and maintaining the courtroom space could allow for two days a week of court services.
It also proposed adding fencing around the green space to prevent deer from getting in, leaving behind both feces and ticks.
The organization argued because of its non-profit status, it could likely be more successful at obtaining grants to fix and maintain the courthouse.
According to the council, two proponents submitted proposals for the courthouse. It said those organizations were willing to work together to “see the success of the courthouse.”
“Thank you to Saint Andrews Civic Trust,” said Coun. Marc Blanchard. “The presentation they put forward, I think, was fairly comprehensive and well thought out and this has been a long time coming, so I’m excited to see where we go with it.”
Acting Mayor Kate Agaki said she is also excited about the start of the process.
Coun. Lee Heenan also spoke to the reduction in the tax burden for the municipality.
“For the taxpayers of Saint Andrews … it will save us some money because when it is transferred to the Trust, they become a charity so they don’t have to pay property tax,” he said.
The Saint Andrews Civic Trust has also been a part of restoring the beloved Pendlebury Lighthouse and the preservation of various historical buildings and landmarks.
