The Kamloops-Thompson School District says repairs to the Sagebrush Theatre roof will cost about $1 million.

Facilities director Art McDonald says the engineering design for the repairs is finished, and a tender package for contractors to bid on will likely be made public tomorrow.

“What we’re going to be doing, in essence, is providing a steel structure to help support the existing wood structure. And that will give us sort of a permanent solution to the problem we currently have.”

The School District had initially hoped the Sagebrush would re-open in early September, but McDonald says the timeline has now been pushed back to late in the month.

“Obviously we hope to do these things as quickly as possible, but we also have to give the engineers sufficient time to get through the designs. At the end of the day, they’re the ones responsible for it. So we have to make sure that their design meets all the codes and that they’re comfortable with what they’re providing us.”

McDonald says the repairs will include preventative maintenance to the theatre’s roof to prevent a similar closure in the future.

The Sagebrush has been closed since Feb. 15 after a crack was discovered in a roof truss, and users of the facility have had to find temporary homes in the meantime.