
Municipal councillors in Antigonish Co. have approved funding for nine community centres.
They voted in favour of a one-time, $10,000 operating grant for the centres at December’s regular council meeting Monday night.
After, Owen McCarron, the municipality’s warden, said councillors are aware of the struggles related to COVID-19.
“We’ve heard lots of community centres being impacted by the fact that they couldn’t open, or were very limited in what they could do in their openings,” he said. “They’ve been losing money (as) they haven’t been able to hold events- bingos, dances, you name it, weddings, receptions.”
McCarron said the pandemic has stopped many- if not all- events.
He said there are still bills to pay.
“They’re trying to be creative in finding ways to do things that they can create a little bit of money, (but) there’s certain things that they can’t escape,” he said. “You have power bills, heat, lights, telephone, internet- all that stuff continues to be there.”
McCarron said municipal officials want to help relieve some of the financial pressure until things return to normal in the spring or summer.
The nine centres receiving the grant are:
•Arisaig Parish Community Centre
•Havre Boucher Community Centre
•Heatherton Community Centre
•Lochaber Centre
•Mini-Trail Community Centre
•Pomquet Fr. PJ Baccardax Hall
•St. Andrews Community Centre
•St. Josephs Lakeside Community Centre
•Tracadie Monsignor Donnelly Hall