The Pender Ocean Discovery Station (PODS) is one step closer to reality now that the group has successfully purchased the Irvines Landing property.
“We had hundreds and hundreds of donations – it was the most amazing outpouring of community I’ve ever seen. It was fantastic,” said Michael Jackson, commenting on the final fundraising push to reach the goal of $2.4 million by last week.
“With one week to go, things rapidly changed. At the beginning of the week we had $80,000 to go, and by Thursday, that number was cut in half,” he said.
Jackson said PODS received an “amazing contribution” from Jane McOuat Farrer and the beneficiaries of the estate of Dr. John Farrer, a general practitioner in Madeira Park who died last year. Jackson called Farrer a “great naturalist and photographer, who loved the idea” of the PODS project.
“It was a very special thing for us, very fitting after the long road we’ve been down,” Jackson said.
The end of the two-year fundraising campaign was marked with an impromptu celebration at the PODS showroom in Madeira Park on Friday afternoon. Jackson said about 30 to 40 people gathered, expecting to hear news about the sale, and that news came in around 3:30 p.m.
“It’s just amazing when you’ve been through this process with so many friends. It was two years altogether but the last few months there was a really big push [for fundraising]. We’re extremely thankful to everyone who helped pull this off,” he said. “We want to thank the local community and everyone on the Coast who has given to us. It just shows that people care about what we’re doing.”
He said small contributions are very meaningful. “Even if it was $10 or $20, we felt people were supporting us from all walks of life and that helps us move forward,” he said.
Jackson said now that the property for PODS has been purchased, the real work begins. “No rest,” he laughed. “I was out with the architect on Sunday morning, talking about the plans.”
Despite a long list of planning issues to be dealt with and details to be determined for the PODS plan, Jackson is aiming to break ground next summer.
“Of course it all depends … but our intention is to be opening in 2020. That’s our goal.”
