One-day emergency heritage restoration at Pioneer Acres Museum

When you get an emergency call saying “we have visitors coming tomorrow and a massive tree just fell on our Crown School,” you know it’s going to be one of those days.

That’s exactly what happened when Pioneer Acres Museum in Irricana where CPR Group was called in to restore the property ASAP!

The Problem: Poplar falls & hits the school; visitors coming tomorrow

A large poplar treehad come down right over the historic Crown School building during a windstorm on 1st June 2025(Sunday).

With museum visitors scheduled for Tuesday, they needed the whole mess cleaned up fast – and without damaging the heritage building any further.

The restoration scope of work

Here’s what we were dealing with:

• Fallen poplar tree covering the right building elevation

• Risk of window damage during removal – windows are of historical value

• Damaged stucco that needed colour matching (from tree impact)

• Cedar shingles that got beat up (on two spots)

• Complete site cleanup before opening day

*This isn’t just any building – it’s a piece of Alberta’s history, so there was no room for the tiniest mistake! *

Emergency tree removal (without breaking anything):

First things first: get that tree off the building without smashing windows or causing more damage.

Our certified arborist partner brought in the bucket truck among others and started sectioning the tree piece by piece as we had to calculate every move.

The key here is having the right equipment and experienced on-site operators. It’s crucial to look for proven restoration teams that have the baggage to carry out projects of historical value. We’ve seen too many “emergency” tree removals that turned into insurance nightmares because someone tried to rush it..

It did take more than simply bringing down a standing poplar, but this wasn’t just another restoration job

Pro tip: If you ever have a tree fall on your building, don’t let anyone touch it until they show you exactly how they plan to remove it without causing more damage. Ask for references for similar jobs.

One of the museum employees selected a few branches to prep them for expose. So next time you visit the Pioneer Acres of Alberta, ask to see the branches from the fallen tree shown in the photos.

Finding fulfillment in one of the most ‘hated’ industries out there: restoration!

The fine folks at the museum asked CPR Group whether they can use the now brought down tree, to use for woodfire. Inline with our brand where we stand about building trust before anything else, we chopped and prepped the wood as much as the time allowed for the museum to re-use. It feels great giving back and adds much needed fulfillment during peak work hours(it was a hot day too!).

Stump grinding and site prep

Once the tree was sectioned and removed, we had to deal with the stump. Leaving a sharp, pointy stump is a hazard, a risk we weren’t ready to take with visitors coming tomorrow.

Post stump removal: the area was raked and free of debris or hazards

After removing the stump, we raked the area and made sure no debris was left behind. A blower did the job of dispersing the tiniest debris.

Stucco restoration (the tricky part)

We collected samples from the existing stucco and took them to get an exact, known as computerized colour match. Heritage buildings that have unique colour formulations or used now discontinued siding products need professional matching. This one was a bit simpler with a white stucco colour exposed to your standard weather elements in Alberta. It had a medium acrylic finish which was more straightforward to match.

Exterior renovations need to blend seamlessly and museum visitors shouldn’t be able to tell where the damage happened.

We demo’d the loose stucco, applied adhesive bonder, high quality rapid set fine stucco, finished with colour matched painting. As you can see in the before & after photo below, you can’t notice where the damage was initially.

Stucco patch, stain removal and computerized colour match

Pro tip: Never assume you can eyeball a colour match on heritage stucco. Always sample and match professionally, even if it takes an extra day.

Cedar shingle roof repair

The Crown School’s cedar shingle roof took some hits during the tree fall. CPR Group roofers came prepared with cedar shingles and we got the repair done fast by removing the damaged cedar shingles and replacing them with new ones.

See the two areas we repaired in the before & after photos below:

Pro tip: Cedar shingle repairs are not very common in Calgary and they go a long way. Always ask your insurance before upgrading or downgrading to a cedar shingle roof on how it affects your premium. They’re more prone to fire events, but otherwise super sturdy against hail. So that’s the trade off.

At the end, a complete site cleanup follows

The final step was making sure the museum grounds were pristine for opening day. All debris removed, landscaping protected, and the site looking like the incident never happened.

This included:

• All wood debris removal

• Site grading(raking) where the stump was removed

• Protecting surrounding landscaping during the work

• Final walk-through to ensure nothing was missed

Why restoring heritage buildings need different approach

Working on heritage properties like the Crown School isn’t the same as regular restoration work. Here’s what makes it different:

• Each brick, shingle, window frame, and even trees hold dear and historical value.

• Understanding risks: damaging preserved properties during the restoration process, objects, is of immense value and can’t be compensated with monetary value.

• You need to take as much time as needed, to match materials.

• The restoration work should be quick, safe and shouldn’t be prolonged similar to what happens with commercial restoration projects.

Common emergency restoration issues in Alberta

Based on this job and others we’ve handled, here are the most common emergency restoration scenarios property owners face:

Hail damage restoration: Particularly brutal in Calgary and southern Alberta

Storm or wind damage restoration: Wind storms bringing down trees on buildings

Water damage restoration: From roof failures, burst pipes, or flood

Fire damage restoration: Requiring immediate stabilization and restoration

Commercial damage restoration: From building failures, incidents (e.g. vehicles hitting a building or office), vandalism, thefts (we see a trend with liquor stores being targeted the most) etc.

The Results: Museum opens on schedule

Pioneer Acres Museum opened their doors to visitors as scheduled. The Crown School building looked perfect – you couldn’t tell where the tree had fallen or where we’d done the restoration work.

Most importantly, we preserved a piece of Alberta’s educational history for future generations.

If you find yourself needing emergency heritage restoration:

Act fast: Damage usually gets worse with time. Call your insurance carrier.

Document everything: Your insurance will send out an inspector to document everything. Take your own photos and notes without coming close to the event

Get professional assessment: You can hire an independent restoration company in Calgary if you’re not happy with the initial insurance assessment.

Think long-term: The insurance is often viewed as the ‘bad guys’ that restore damage caused by an event partially. That’s a mistake as insurance carriers (at least in Alberta) have great contractors that do great work. And e

The Pioneer Acres job reminded us why we do this work. It’s not just about fixing damage – it’s about preserving what matters to people and communities.

Whether it’s a heritage building that tells Alberta’s story or your family home, the approach is the same: assess properly, plan thoroughly, execute professionally, and deliver results that last.