Members of the Welcome Beach Community Association (WBCA) delivered a cheque for $140,000 to the Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) last week that marks the first donation towards a new community hall at Coopers Green.
The new hall, expected to cost about $650,000, is necessary to replace the aging Coopers Green structure, which no longer meets the community’s needs, according to the WBCA.
“The mandate of the association is to promote social programs in support of the well-being of the community, so a new hall that overcomes some of the major deficiencies of the existing Coopers Green hall, such as lack of a food safe kitchen, limited size, poor acoustics, inadequate lighting and heating, is key to moving forward,” said WBCA president Terry Karleen.
The community association sold its former community hall on Redrooffs Road in 2011 and held $140,000 of funds from that sale for a new hall at Coopers Green. The money was given to the SCRD last week to hold in trust for the project.
“As Coopers Green is the last remaining community hall in Halfmoon Bay, the association feels strongly that monies from their old hall should be used for a new hall that can be used by all in the community and support the programs and events that they desire,” Karleen said.
While the SCRD hasn’t committed any funding for the new structure, they have signed a memorandum of understanding with the WBCA to collaborate on the planning, funding and development of Coopers Green hall in conjunction with a new Coopers Green park management plan to be drafted in 2015.
The WBCA has pledged to raise more funds for the new hall in 2015 and area director and SCRD chair Garry Nohr has been approaching Independent Power Producers (IPPs) in the area, looking for money for the cause.
“I’m talking to all the new IPPs coming on line to see if for community benefits they’ll put it into this,” he said. “The ones I’ve talked to so far are quite enthused because they get to see where the money’s going and it would be good PR for the companies.”
No IPPs have signed on the dotted line yet, however, so the WBCA is looking to the community for donations of money or in-kind work for the new hall. The group will be seeking grants in aid as well in 2015.
If you would like to help, contact Karleen at 604-885-7452 or [email protected].
“Although there is not a definite timeline for completion, both parties are excited about the possibility of a new hall to better serve the community,” added corporate officer Angie Legault.
