to left of Main Entrance. See PO article below.
Season’s Greetings!
There were many positive changes at Manson’s Landing Community Hall this year, and there are more to come in the new year.
In 2012 the Pioneer Room where islanders and visitors gather to eat, visit and surf the internet was extensively remodeled as was the main hall kitchen. Cortes Community Radio moved to a much better location for its operations—the portable that was North Island College’s Cortes Centre.
The room where the radio was previously located is now being renovated for the post office and will have twice the present number of mailboxes in an inside lobby with 24/7 access separate from the main hall entrance. Many less obvious improvements in insulation, heating and plumbing have been made, and having a part-time maintenance person on staff has helped deal with numerous small problems before they became big expensive ones.
The last year has not been without its challenges. After an unsuccessful effort to finance a new building for the library, the SCCA lost $7000 in annual lease revenue from the Vancouver Island Regional Library when VIRL’s administrators abruptly closed the branch and left us with a structural engineer’s report that will require substantial renovations so the room can be used again.
Fortunately, the SCCA has just been awarded a grant which will help us repair those structural deficiencies as well as transform the main entryway to the hall and new post office, turn the existing post office into a small group meeting room, and fix the squeaky floor over the Pioneer Room. However, like other grants we hope to get this year, it must be matched with funds from other sources which will significantly deplete our reserves without your help.
While grants are great, they have very specific conditions. Grants do not provide money for routine maintenance or suddenly needed repairs. They will not pay our heating or electric bills, our insurance, janitor, cleaning supplies and garbage collection. These costs must be covered by rental income or donations in order to keep the hall warm, clean and safe and to adapt it for the many services and activities you enjoy.
Fortunately, there are many in our community who have volunteered their time, tools and skills to help with hands-on projects and who lend their expertise to keep Manson’s Hall functioning and to develop spaces for new uses. Other grants we have applied for will count in-kind donations of materials and labour.
So we are asking current members to renew your memberships now for the next year and add a donation of money, time and/or materials. If you are not a member, please join your community association. Donations and membership fees can be mailed to the SCCA, Box 222, Manson’s Landing, B.C., V0P1K0, dropped off at the hall office or made online at www.mansonshall.org, the SCCA web site. For a 2012 tax receipt, donations must be received before December 31. Online contributors will receive a tax receipt via email from CanadaHelps.org.
Thank you for supporting your community centre. Happy holidays from all of us:
SCCA Board of Directors — Julian Ayers, Desta Beattie, Myrna Kerr, Jim Murphy, John Sprungman
Manson’s Hall Staff — Mark Christian, Marilyn Fitzmaurice, Josee Gagnon, Mary Lavelle, Eddy Mitchell, Claudia Raaen