$25M community centre in Oxford ‘something that the town desperately needed’
The completion of a $25-million community centre in Oxford, N.S., is drawing near, nearly seven years after a sinkhole forced the closure of the former Lions Club hall.
Matthew Bragg, vice-president of the Oxford community centre committee, shared that the project to build a new facility commenced about four years ago and is on track to be ready by this spring. The sinkhole had made the previous community centre and playground unsafe, prompting the need for a new gathering space.
The upcoming net-zero building will offer a gymnasium, community kitchen, meeting rooms, library branch, child-care area, and fitness centre. The society will be the building’s owner, with a combination of paid staff and volunteers supporting its operations.
Funding for the project came from various sources, with the federal and provincial governments contributing $7 million each, and the Town of Oxford and Municipality of Cumberland adding approximately $350,000 each. The provincial government is also providing close to $1.9 million for the child-care spaces.
Private support has also been crucial, with the Bragg family foundation and other business connections contributing financially. Bragg, who chairs the Oxford Frozen Food Group, mentioned that the space will be used for larger meetings and events, filling the void left by the closure of the Lions Club hall.
With about $1 million left to raise, upcoming events will help bridge the remaining gap. The Town of Oxford’s contribution included waiving development fees and donating the land where the new community centre now stands, on the former high school site.
Oxford Mayor Greg Henley emphasized the importance of the new facility, stating that it is a much-needed addition to the town. Both Henley and Bragg believe that the community centre will not only benefit Oxford but also attract visitors from across northern Nova Scotia, becoming a hub for the entire region.
