Town approves tax abatement for original McNaughton Building
December 22, 2015, 2:10 am
Kevin Weedmark
Moosomin town council has approved a tax abatement for the original McNaughton building, owned by a local non-profit group.
The group was formed to save the building, built in 1882, which is Saskatchewan’s oldest commercial building.
The R.D. McNaughton Company set up in Moosomin as soon as the Canadian Pacific Railway arrived. The company started operating out of a tent in June of 1882, and built the wood frame building before that winter.
The company later built the stone building on the corner of South Front and Carleton Street, and later added a large brick addition, at which point it moved the original wooden building across the street and used it as a plumbing and hardware department.
A committee has been formed to try to save the building, and has purchased a lot immediately south of where the building now sits.
“We now own the land as an organization,” Neil Russell told councillors Wednesday.
“We own the 30x100 lot where we will be moving the building. We are hoping to have the foundation poured by mid to late January and I was thinking since that building has paid taxes for 130 years, maybe you would consider giving us a break,” Russell said.
Annual property tax on the building is $548.26. The town’s share of that is $418.28, with the remainder going to the school division.
Council voted to cancel taxes on the property for 2016.
The committee has done some work to secure and stabilize the building, which had sat on skids for decades.
The group has secured some provincial government funding, in addition to local donations.
Once it is moved to its new foundation, the plan is to restore the building to its original appearance, featuring large windows across the front of the building.