Events for Life is excited and ready to get to work on its next chapter.
The organization is now ready to leap into the process of designing and fundraising for its new permanent home in Thornbury.
On July 15, The Blue Mountains council gave final approval to a plan to work with Events for Life on an agreement to build a municipal capital facility beside the Beaver Valley Community Centre.
Events for Life will be responsible for the construction and financing of the building and the town will continue to own the land.
The choice of the arena property in Thornbury as a suitable location for the project came almost a year after Events for Life approached the town about possibly donating land for their new home.
Events for Life board chair Kevin Whyte said they are thrilled with the results of the collaboration with the town and council and the site selection process.
“We’re really happy with the outcome of the ongoing discussions,” Whyte said in an interview with CollingwoodToday. “The arena location is fantastic.”
Whyte and executive director Barb Weeden were together for the interview and spoke about their excitement for the upcoming project.
Whyte said the arena location means Events for Life does not have to worry about securing enough space for parking, outdoor activities and recreational facilities - all of which are already part of the arena property or are close by.
“It allows us to focus on the program centre itself and set it up for all the needs,” he said.
Weeden said Events for Life will be building a fully accessible facility in a central location. She said the opportunity to rent out the building during times it’s not in use for Events for Life programming will help it become more sustainable.
“We will be a fully accessible facility with common space, a kitchen and a boardroom,” said Weeden. “This is going to be a real plus.”
Events for Life currently operates out of two locations: Beaver Creek Farms and Blue Mountain Community Church. The organization provides support to adults with intellectual disabilities and operates a successful day program. Events for Life also operates a cafe at the Beaver Valley Community Centre during the winter months.
Events for Life is open four days a week and operating out of two locations presents logistical challenges for the organization, which has grown now to 35 regular participants.
“We’re kind of isolated out here,” Weeden said of the Beaver Creek location. “Operating in two facilities is a challenge. It would be appropriate for all of us to be under the same roof.”
The next two big steps for the project is to select a third party to design the building and to begin fundraising for the project.
“We’ve got millions of dollars to raise,” Whyte said, estimating that the fundraising will kick into gear after Labour Day. “I think we can get it moving relatively quickly. We will have a multi-pronged approach and we hope the community gets engaged and wants to participate.”
Events for Life has already had some help with the designs for the facility. As part of a finals project, architectural students from Toronto Metropolitan University teamed with Events for Life to put together concept drawings for the new building.
“It gave us a fantastic head start,” said Weeden. “We had graduate students who put together some really good drawings. They took a lot of guesswork out.”
The final design will depend on what’s possible with the space at the arena.
“We will be working with the town on what fits. These are details that certainly will be coming back to council,” said Whyte, who said he looks forward to a lot of fun over the next many months as the project takes shape. “It’s a feel good kind of project. It’s a good thing for the community. I would expect this will have great momentum and great support.”
