President’s Report by John Sprungman
Manson’s Hall, in its present form, has served the community as a centre for services, activities and as a social space for 32 years. Over those years, it has been a kind of greenhouse in which things start small and some of them outgrow the available space. The first doctor practiced in what is now the hall office. Later the room across from the bathrooms was the doctor’s office and then the community built the medical centre.
The Quadra Credit Union also started in the hall office, moved into the portable on the parking lot and then bought land and constructed its own building. This year Cortes Community Radio, now fully licensed, moved to the portable from the old doctor’s office.
And the next occupant of that room will be the post office. Jim Murphy, chair of the SCCA’s renovations committee, is working with postmaster Jaime le Grandeur on a design which will include an internal lobby (open 24/7) with twice the number of mailboxes, all of them new and already on site. This move was approved by the SCCA board to accomplish a number of positive changes: the reduction of heat loss from the hall by not using the main doors as the access for incoming and outgoing mail, the creation of a pedestrian courtyard keeping vehicles back from the main entry, and providing mailboxes for nearly a hundred people who currently get their mail via general delivery. Once the post office is moved, a small group meeting or activity room will be created to reduce the need to use the Pioneer Room for a limited number of people. Continue reading “SCCA Presidents Report”
