UAlberta plans to remove pipe organ due to renovations, faces community pushback

The University of Alberta will be removing a historic pipe organ from its Convocation Hall during upcoming renovations, a move that has drawn concern from the broader community. UAlberta cited accessibility and increasing capacity as reasons for removing the organ. Some community members shared that they regard the university organ as a memorial, as the current pipe organ is a replacement for an instrument that was listed in Veterans Affairs Canada’s national inventory of Canadian war memorials. UAlberta contends that this status was tied to the original instrument, but stated that it remains committed to treating the instrument with dignity after its removal.