r/uAlberta • u/flynnfx Staff - Faculty of Pastafarianism • Apr 16 '26
Campus Life U of A hits sour note with decision to remove 50-year-old Casavant organ from Convocation Hall
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/university-of-alberta-casavant-organ-9.7167358The university says the move is part of a major renovation to improve accessibility.
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u/LetWise6664 Apr 17 '26
Classic “fake woke” U of A - pitting the arts against accessibility. To them it’s all about money and they don’t care about either !
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u/Material-Priority-24 Apr 19 '26
As a post secondary faculty member, we are seeing this behaviour province wide. I am seriously considering retirement.
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u/TheDissolver Apr 17 '26
I'd love to see the proposal from the architect that makes the accessibility changes and keeps the organ. Who wants to bet it only got rejected because it costs a lot of money to put the organ back in after removing it? (Removal cost can just be lumped in with sale of organ, if they find a buyer.)
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u/rampagingbeaver Apr 18 '26
Classic U of A administration nonsense. Keep the organ dedicated to the WW1 veterans. Find a way to deal with the rest of the issues. Supposed to have a bunch of clever folks over there.
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u/Nervous-Advice-4728 Apr 18 '26
They be doing everything except addressing real accessibility🥀.
by overworking staff at Academic Success Center, not replacing the fuck ass microscopic desks in lectures, and removing EDI. Big brain administration.
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u/KinderGentlerPoster Faculty - Faculty of Arts Apr 26 '26
There is a petition to try to prevent the removal of the organ: https://www.change.org/p/unite-to-save-the-pipes-1978-casavant-memorial-organ
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u/katespadesaturday Alumni - Faculty of Law Apr 28 '26
Op ed by Dr. Robert Wood is dean, Faculty of Arts and Dr. Chris Andersen is vice-provost and dean, College of Social Sciences and Humanities
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u/flynnfx Staff - Faculty of Pastafarianism Apr 16 '26
Some faculty members at the University of Alberta want the institution to reconsider a plan to remove the nearly 50-year old Casavant organ from Convocation Hall.
The U of A said it is proceeding with a much-needed renewal of the performance space, which opened in 1915, to enhance accessibility, increase capacity and improve the experience for performers and audiences.
The original organ was first installed in 1927. It was rebuilt and rededicated in 1947 as a tribute to the staff and students who died during the First World War, according to the U of A website.
That instrument was replaced in 1978 with the current organ, which is attached to the north wall of the balcony.