WATCH ABOVE: Gil Tucker reports on how a Calgary family’s pipe organ found a new home and escaped the landfill.
CALGARY – A Calgary family’s wish to find a home for their 80-year-old pipe organ has been fulfilled. The heirloom was packed up into pieces this week, on its way to a music teacher at Chestermere High School.
“This is a wonderful gift that we’ve been given,” said teacher Lael Johnston.
Made 80 years ago in Toronto, the instrument was originally shipped west to a Calgary funeral home.
After Herb Vandernet bought it from the home, he spent two years building his basement around the organ, its 300 pipes taking up an entire room.
Following his death last fall, his children put the house up for sale and hoped the piece of history could be preserved.
“Our biggest fear is that this organ is going to end up in the landfill,” said daughter Alice Ward in a previous interview. “It’s too beautiful and it meant too much to my father to have that happen.”
Ward and her brother, Cory Vandernet, offered to give it to anyone who could provide a good home. They said they got many responses, from across Canada to Mexico, and even a request for it to be shipped to Cuba.
In donating it to Johnston and his band students in Chestermere, the family got to keep it close to home.
“It’ll be an adventure. It’ll be loud…we want it loud,” said Johnston.
“I’ll have to get our principal to agree to let us ring it every hour.”
Johnston said he plans for students to play the instrument during the school’s first band concert in October. The Vandernet family is eager to see the organ back in action.
Watch below: Gil Tucker first speaks with the Vandernet family about the organ on June 16
With files from Erika Tucker