Sydney community centre destroyed by flood gets new home
It's been a tough few months for the people who ran the Southend Community Centre in Sydney, N.S., but now they've received good news — the province is providing a new home for the facility.
The centre, which offers education programs and activities, suffered extensive damage during the Thanksgiving Day flood and was demolished last week.
Premier Stephen McNeil was at the former Mira Road Elementary School in Sydney on Monday to announce it as the centre's new location.
"I'm excited for you, for all of you, because that centre represented so much," McNeil told the community members who attended the announcement.
Volunteers thrilled
Centre volunteer Jenny Buckley told the premier everyone involved is "ready to burst" with excitement.
"We're so looking forward to where we're going," she said.
Mira Road was one of several schools closed by the Cape Breton-Victoria Regional School Board at the end of the last school year. The province reclaimed it from the Cape Breton Regional Municipality and now plans to lease it to the Southend Community Development Association for $1.
McNeil said the goal is to eventually transfer ownership of the Mira Road building to the development association.
"We wanted to get them in here as quickly as possible and the way to do it the quickest was to lease it to them," he said.
Plans for the new centre
The association will pursue funding from all three levels of government to help cover the cost of renovating the new building, said executive director Rick Fraser.
He's excited about the opportunities having a gymnasium provides.
"The first thing we need to do is take a look at the physical layout of the building, and then we'll determine what programs we're going to continue to run here," he said.
It's hoped the group can start moving in within a couple of weeks.
Board member Angela Bruce struggled to put into words what the new building means for the centre's future.
"When we lost the other building, it was a devastating blow for all of us," said Bruce, adding that her daughter practically grew up at the centre.
"That place wasn't just bricks and walls, it was my home.... To know that we're not alone and the government's backing us, it speaks volumes, so that we can continue to do what we do in the community.
"It shows that what we're doing is worthwhile here."
