Farewell to Fenwick

(Bruce Bottomley Photo)

At the barbecue: Tim Garagan, Greg Gorman, Cali Smith, Pam Perry, Laurie Mullenger, Dave Falldien. (Bruce Bottomley Photo)

On a roof-top deck overlooking the entire city, former residents, staff and administrators gathered to say goodbye to Fenwick Place, a building Dalhousie students have called home for almost 40 years.

Dalhousie purchased the apartment building after the original developer declared bankruptcy in 1970 and it’s been used as student housing ever since. Over the years, there’s been controversy about the condition of the 33-storey tower, but everyone at the barbeque was remembering the good times.

“I have a lot of good memories of this place,” said Karl Dempsey, a fourth-year sociology student who lived and worked at Fenwick for more than two years.” I’m not from the city, so the people here became like family to me.”

Mr. Dempsey was part of the maintenance staff who did upkeep on the building while he lived there.

“We joke about how much maintenance the building needs, but it is 40 years old so you have to expect that. Over all, the apartments were pretty nice and, compared to other residences, you got a lot more space.”

“It’s a little sad,” said Pam Perry, who works with Student Community Services. “It’s always been here, it’s weird to think this is our last time here.”

Ms. Perry and her colleagues remember Hurricane Juan most vividly. Fenwick sustained a lot of damage during the storm and it was a challenge to ensure students had a safe place to stay.

“I remember walking up and down the stairs taking water to people,” said Dave Falldien, Ms. Perry’s colleague. “We had students staying all over the city, even at the Westin.”

Although Fenwick may not have compared to the luxury of the Westin, it was home-sweet-home to thousands of Dalhousie students over the last four decades.

“Fenwick has served the university well,” said Dalhousie President Dr. Tom Traves. “Although we’re moving on now, Fenwick will always be a part of Dalhousie’s history.”

Templeton Properties is the new owner of Fenwick and officially takes possession on June 15. The Halifax-based developer and property management company plans to transform it into a luxury, high-end building.

Dalhousie has signed five-year leases with Templeton for departments situated on Fenwick’s promenade level, including the Schools of Human Communications Disorders and Health Administration and the Faculty of Medicine's Learning Resource Centre.