PENHOLD – After hours of sanding, sawing, nailing and staining, the Innisfail council desk of yore has a new look, and a new home.
The old felted and orange stained desk, which once stood sedentary inside Innisfail's old town council room, has travelled nearly 12 kilometres north to take up residence inside Penhold's town council meeting room at the multiplex. Innisfail now has a new council desk inside its brand new chamber, which opened for its first meeting on July 24.
From where it came from to where it is now, the two versions of the travelling council desk are nothing alike. Gone is the golden oak top and felted siding; replacing it is a sleek and modern, dark wood masterpiece, topped with a raised divider wall and custom built panelling.
The new desk is replacing Penhold's previous desk, which was large, awkward and didn't fit the town's current meeting room, said Mayor Dennis Cooper.
By contrast, he said, the new desk is a fully functional, beautiful table that works well for their needs.
Marc Dallaire, owner of Red Brick Cabinets located just outside of Innisfail, was tasked with restoring the unit. After 20 hours – and help from his two children – he's pleased with how it turned out, although like most artists, he still sees imperfections.
“I'm the kind of guy who likes to have everything perfect,” he said. “I strive for perfection, so I still see flaws.”
Even though he said he likes building an object from scratch, there is something about a renovation that makes the project special.
“You know what you had, what was there, and what you changed it to be,” Dallaire said. “You see the difference.”
Cooper chaired the first council meeting from the front of the town's new desk on Aug.26 and said it's a great improvement over the previous unit, where he experienced impeded views between him and some of the other council members.
“It looks brand new and it's going to be a great desk for the new council, coming into that room to work in,” he said.
Penhold town council was quoted about $20,000 for a custom built, high quality table; it cost them just under $7,000 to restore Innisfail's donated council desk.
The table – which seats 12 – can be taken apart and moved in sections. The savings in cost allowed council to install a monitor, placed behind the council desk, so members of the gallery can view agenda information.
Cooper said the functional desks are going to be used for a number of years, adding Dallaire's finished project exceeded expectations.
“It's beautiful,” he said. “He did an outstanding job.”
Dennis Cooper, mayor of Penhold
"It looks brand new and it's going to be a great desk for the new council, coming into that room to work in."
