(File photo/northeastNOW Staff)

By Cam Lee

Historic post office

Remediation work complete at Melfort’s historic post office

Jan 9, 2024 | 12:00 PM

The historic post office in Melfort is once again available to rent.

Director of Community Services Rob Lok told council last night that the remediation work that closed the facility to the public is complete.

“On the main space of the post office where the public has access…the lead paint on the walls had started actively cracking and flaking, which presented a public health risk,” Lok told northeastNOW.

The facility was closed last spring after the paint began to flake, and it was no longer available to the public for rentals or events, or a potential lease.

It took the city quite some time to find a contractor willing to handle the project, but eventually hired a company in Regina to complete the lead paint abatement at a cost of around $60,000.

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“We did approach a number of contractors and a number of them turned us down and said they weren’t interested in tackling this project,” said Lok.

Lok explained the first step in the abatement was vacuuming the main floor of any lead paint dust. The floor was then covered in plastic and the lead paint on the walls and ceiling was scraped off. The space was once again vacuumed extensively and the walls and ceiling were then painted with an industrial primer which holds the existing lead paint in place. Lok added the paint no longer poses a health risk.

There is some asbestos covering some of the piping in the basement but Lok said there’s no public health risk as it is in place and stable. The space is inaccessible to the public, and city staff know where the asbestos is and know not to disturb it.

With the lead paint remediation work complete, the building is back open and available for bookings.

“Whether that’s a wedding that you’re looking for, or some sort of event you’ve got planned or a family reunion, the historic post office is available,” Lok said. “There’s a kitchen there, a couple of bathrooms, and of course all sorts of space.”

He said the city is not currently in talks with any groups about leasing the building, but there are a few community groups that are potentially interested in leasing space, and Lok said they’ll see what comes together over the next few months.

A daycare had previously planned to move into the building, but those plans were stopped after the lead was discovered in the paint.