From Bob Foster

Dear Culture Minister Aileen Carroll,
On Monday May 4th,2009 I drove the 2 hours from my hometown of Brampton,Ont to the beautiful City of St.Thomas,Ont to see what,if any progress has been made on the property at 96 Moore Street.The rain was coming down lightly,thunder was rumbling off in the distance and from the looks of the property,it has remained untouched since the horrific fire that brought Alma College down on Wednesday May 28th,2008.The chapel and the music building have been left abandoned and neglected,further damaged after another brutal Ontario winter.The Alma supporters are asking the ministry of culture to designate the property and 2 remaining buildings as “provincially significant” to ensure the Alma legacy lives on in the City of St.Thomas.Both the chapel and the music building could easily be restored and incorporated into any further development at 96 Moore Street.We must do the right thing and honor the hard work of every person who built the college,and most of all the students and staff who created the Alma College legacy.All of these people have an emotional attachment to 96 Moore Street,that is second to none.Allowing this property to continue being abused is a crime,but if the culture ministry would now step in and help save what remains,we could have somewhat of a happy ending,knowing the chapel and the music building were spared,and will continue on for many more years.Standing in the rain,I envisioned the college as it once was,students enjoying the beautiful college grounds,the chapel and the music building full of life with laughter filling the air,now fast forward to 2009,the entire property is full of sadness,with no signs of life and the rain now symbolizes the tears of every person who ever walked through those granite gates and experienced the beauty that was Alma College.I ask that you please consider the possibility of designating 96 Moore Street,so the sun can once again shine,on this sacred ground.

Bob Foster
Brampton,Ontario