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MOOSE CREEK – A North Stormont village with a strong sense of community celebrated a significant development on Friday afternoon.
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A groundbreaking ceremony was held at the event marking the start of construction of a new community center in Moose Creek.
“The township is not building new (center),” North Stormont Deputy Mayor Frank Landry said before putting a shovel in the ground. “It’s the people who build a new hall, (and) the canton has a coordinating role.”
It’s an expensive project, but made necessary because the nearly 100-year-old Moose Creek Community Center – recently demolished – had to be closed due to health and safety concerns, including containing asbestos.
North Stormont general manager Craig Calder said the new hall project is budgeted at $3 million. So it’s all on deck, and the funding includes a huge total donation of $800,000 from GFL Moose Creek Waste Management Service, $500,000 in 2022 and $300,000 in 2023.
And Landry said a $750,000 federal grant for the project was received.
But it’s also a grassroots effort, with Landry saying the community “owns this room,” and with representatives from the village chamber of commerce as well as the recreation association in attendance Friday.
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There has been a busy list of organized and upcoming fundraising events, including a golf tournament on Saturday. Other efforts include an opportunity to adopt a brick, and overall so far the community has raised approximately $100,000, for a hall that will be closer to the park and other amenities at the back of the property, not near the street where the old center was.
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Moose Creek has long had a very nice recreation area, which includes an outdoor skating rink with a roof.
As for the new venue, expect the exterior to be similar to North Stormont Place in Avonmore, but different on the inside.
“It will be built to meet the needs of the community,” Calder said, noting there will be approximately 2,000 square feet of rental space available.
Landry dug that ceremonial shovel into the ground, but honestly Cornwall-based Grant-Marion Construction Ltd. beat it – construction began earlier this week. The targeted finish line? It’s easy to remember – December 31 of this year.
Some in attendance for the ceremony seemed surprised it was happening so quickly, and Calder agreed the bar was set high.
“It’s aggressive and optimistic – we’re aiming for December 31,” he said.
And it adds to the excitement of the local community with all of their fundraising projects.
Recently, the Moose Creek Recreation Association said in a social media post, “We are a team of volunteers in the Village of Moose Creek – we are building a new town hall (shovels in the ground this summer) and we are collecting funds to build our room.
“Our old room has been in regular use for over 100 years! Birthday Parties, Weddings, Funerals, Anniversary Celebrations, Dance Classes, Craft Sales, Movie Nights, Baby Showers, Comedy Shows, New Years Eve Parties, Political Meetings, etc. – it’s all part of Moose Creek Hall!
“It’s time for new memories in a new room. It’s an exciting time in Moose Creek…expensive, but exciting! »
The old hall was built in 1927. It was in the fall of 2020 that representatives from the Moose Creek Recreation Association and Chamber of Commerce made another visit to the council asking for support for a replacement plan.
