Heritage consultant Bill Hicks made a presentation to St. Andrews Town Council at the regular August meeting for 2023. Hicks, of Broken Shovel Consulting, was hired by the town to engage the community on their thoughts and concerns regarding the future of the Charlotte County Court House.

Once the longest continuous use court house in Canada, the historic property was taken out of commission as a judicial building a few years ago by the province.

Since then, the town has been tasked with repurposing the building in a way that preserves its history without becoming a burden to the taxpayers.  

Hicks engaged with stakeholders in the future of the building, including the Charlotte County Archives and Saint Andrews Civic Trust who both have a current presence in the court house. He also sent out a survey and held an open house to get feedback from the general public on their ideas for how the court house can find a second life outside of the justice system.

While preserving its heritage in the form of a museum is, to some, ideal, it is nevertheless costly. Just painting the building is a $100,000 cost and annual heating is upwards of $60,000. While selling the building to a private owner to repurpose could be an option, Hicks said the vast majority of town residents want to see it stay on the town's roster of properties.

"The strong consensus of ownership by the town is because people feel a level of security that the building is going to be in good hands and going to be taken care of," reported Hicks.

Hicks proposed turning the court house into a multi-use facility. It could be used as a museum offering an interpretative experience showcasing the history of the St. Andrews and the justice system. He recommended continuing to keep the home as a base for the Charlotte County Archives and St. Andrews Civic Trust, especially given their strong ties to the heritage of the building. Finally, he said it could be used an an event venue for concerts and private functions, with the historical elements of the building being movable to allow for all types of social functions. Hicks proposed establishing a new nonprofit to operate the court house under town ownership.

The general feedback from council was disappointment in the lack of viable options in Hicks' presentation.

"I was really hoping for that ah-ha moment -- that's exactly what we should be doing with that building! -- and, to be completely honest, I don't get that from this presentation," said Mayor Brad Henderson.