Outgoing president Sandy Cross is recognized by the Region of Queens for her years of service. From L-R: Sandy Cross, Volunteer Brian Muldoon and Mayor Darlene Norman. Photo Ed Halverson

Residents braved Monday’s storm to save Seaside Community Centre.

The meeting was called after president of the Seaside board, Sandy Cross announced she is stepping down.

A new executive board was needed to keep the Centre from closing.

Fourteen people stepped forward from the crowded hall and volunteered to serve.

Having worked with the community centre for 27 years Cross described the results of Monday night’s meeting in one word.

“Relief. Relief that this place is going to see new blood and it’s going to survive.”

Seaside Centre serves the communities of Beach Meadows, Eagle Head, West Berlin and East Berlin.

According to the board’s bylaws, members of the executive must belong to one of those communities.

Cross says one of the first priorities of the new board should be to change that bylaw.

“We talked about it before, about opening it up because that will allow more people to come in with more ideas. Not only that, new blood is good.”

Cross was surprised when towards the end of the meeting, Region of Queens Mayor Darlene Norman came forward to read a proclamation from the municipality recognizing her long years of service to Seaside Centre.

“That was totally, that just blew me,” said Cross. “It really did ‘cause I was not expecting that at all. I’m pleased. They even got me my favourite flowers. Everyone should have this opportunity.”

Mayor Norman is glad to see so many people offer their time to keep the centre going.

“This strikes a heart in the people of this community and that’s what’s important,” said Norman. “That people came forward and rallied behind Seaside Recreation Centre.”

The new board will meet December 1 to select their executive and begin devising future plans for the centre.

Cross says while she is stepping away, she will continue to support the Seaside Centre and the new executive.

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Seaside Centre. Photo Damien van den Berg

The Seaside Centre in Beach Meadow needs a to find a new board of directors after President Sandy Cross announced she will step down from her role November 30.

Currently, Cross is the only executive at the community centre and says it can’t continue to operate as a one-woman show.

“Well, if nobody steps up on the 22 of November, when we have the special meeting, then we have to look at selling off the stuff that’s in the building and then selling the building,” said Cross.

The public meeting is being held in a last-ditch attempt to recruit community members to form a new board.

The Seaside Centre currently provides rental space and regularly hosts quilters, crafters, fitness classes, yoga, and a cheer team in addition to sporadic special events and suppers.

Cross is also concerned as the centre is more than just a recreation hub, serving as a centre where residents can fill water jugs, take a shower or do laundry in the event of an emergency.

The province handed over Seaside Centre to the municipality in the 1990s when it stopped being used as a school.

Region of Queens Mayor Darlene Norman says if the centre goes up for private sale, there’s nothing the region can do.

“There’s no clause in the agreement that reverts this property back to the municipality,” said Norman. “You and I know people are willing, very willing, to purchase beachfront property.”

After being involved with Seaside Centre since 1994, Cross is hopeful the community will rally to keep it going.

“Bring in new ideas and new blood, new set of hands and feet because there is so much potential for that building,” said Cross

The public meeting will be held 6:30pm November 22 at the Seaside Centre for anyone interested in volunteering.

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Seaside Centre. Photo Damien van den Berg

A local community centre is looking to collect funding from area residents property tax bills.

The Seaside Recreation and Community Centre is asking Region of Queens council to approve an area rate of four cents on every hundred dollars of assessed property value for residents of Beach Meadows, Eagle Head, West Berlin, East Berlin and Port Medway.

On a $150,000 home, the area rate would amount to an extra $60 on the homeowners property tax bill.

The treasurer of the volunteer board operating the Seaside Community Centre Damien van den Berg understands no one wants to see their taxes go up, but hopes when people understand the situation they will get on board.

“Even just putting paint on the wall is difficult unless you’ve got money to do that,” said van den Berg. “Primarily the challenge has been operating a building versus operating a community centre.”

van den Berg says the board would like to focus on repairing the basketball courts, fixing up trails and painting lines for pickleball to attract more users but can’t because they’re working on keeping the lights on every month.

Figures submitted by the board to the Region of Queens show an operating deficit of over $6,000 for 2020.

During the year, Seaside Centre received almost $2,000 in donations and raised $358 from an online raffle.

The group has applied to the federal and provincial government for grants to make the basement level fully accessible. The federal funding will build a ramp and renovate the existing washrooms. While the money from the province will go to install 7 heat pumps to lower the heating costs and provide better control over the temperature and humidity.

But neither of those grants will assist in the day-to-day operations of the recreation centre.

van den Berg is concerned the centre cannot continue to rely on donations to fund their activities and needs to find a steady stream of income to go forward. The area rate is expected to provide $35,000 each year

“The cost associated to that increase is quite low year over year, like $50-$60 a year isn’t a significant amount of money from an assessment perspective in order to have a facility that supports the community,” said van den Berg.

He believes the community is looking for the Seaside Centre to be more than it is. And if the area rate is approved, they will have the stability to return their focus from maintaining a building to upgrading the facility and improving their offerings.

“I like to say I’d rather buy a bunch of hockey sticks and hockey nets for the kids that are in the community than being able to turn the lights on,” said van den Berg.

Area residents will have a say in whether or not they’re willing to foot the bill.

A vote will be held on the proposed area rate at the Seaside Centre on March 3.

To cast a ballot, a person must be 18 years of age, a Canadian citizen and permanently reside in Beach Meadows, Eagle Head, East Berlin, West Berlin, or Port Medway on March 3, 2021.

The vote itself will not determine whether or not the area rate will go ahead. The results will be presented to Region of Queens council and used as part of their process as they decide whether or not to introduce the area rate during their annual budget deliberations over the next month.

Reported by Ed Halverson 
E-mail: edhalversonnews@gmail.com
Twitter: @edwardhalverson

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