Even from a distance, it was clear that Tory Rushton was becoming emotional.
A stone’s throw from his own house, just across a massive construction site that sits atop the land where he went to school many moons ago, the now-Minister of Natural Resources and Renewables with the Nova Scotia government was at the podium, having his say during a new funding announcement for the Oxford Community Centre, on October 7th, 2024.
Federal Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Minister Sean Fraser had just announced that Ottawa was adding another $7-million to the pot, topping off $7-million committed by the province in 2023, and an approximately $7-million contribution from the River Philip Association. That $21-million is still a bit shy of the final expected price tag of this modern, accessible and energy-efficient building, which will likely come in at a cool $24.5-million. The federal contribution is being made under the Green and Inclusive Community Buildings program. The construction will also meet Canada Green Building Council Zero-Carbon Design standards.
As Minister Fraser noted, the building will be “…a massive community centre for a community this size, nearly 35,000 square feet….. This is going to change the face of Main Street, but it’s also going to serve the community of Oxford for many years to come.”
Minister Fraser offered praise for his provincial colleague, despite the “difference in political affiliation,” saying: “The guy cares about his community and he’s been an excellent partner to work with to help make this thing possible.” Looking to the future, the Minister said he’ll be back: “I can’t wait to see this thing when we get to an official opening, ’cause I can tell you, opening the doors is far better than announcing the money.”
Minister Rushton, for his part, echoed the friendly relationship with his federal counterpart. On the community centre project, Rushton reflected on what it meant to him and the community, saying that after leaving school, “I was fortunate enough to stay in Nova Scotia. I was fortunate enough to stay right here in Oxford and work and build a career. I never thought I would ever see our hometown grow like this. I never thought we’d ever see an infrastructure building coming to town like this.”
For the Oxford Community Centre Committee, Rushton had nothing but praise: “You’ve worked so hard to get to this point. And now we’re seeing the fruits of the labour come to realization and actual boots on the ground…” He added, “It’s not very often that a minister of any government of any stripe gets to make an announcement like this in their home community.”
The Announcement
At Monday morning’s event, with ceremonial shovels at the ready and a large artist’s rendering of the building under construction behind the podium, OCC Committee member Leta MacDiarmid introduced the speakers, beginning with a ceremonial smudging of the project site by Mi’kmaq Elder Manson Gloade.
Also on hand to deliver remarks was David Hoffman, President of the Oxford Community Centre Association. Hoffman praised the commitment and efforts of the members of the association, saying “It’s been a long time working on this project for the Community Center Association Group. We’ve been at it for between three and four years. I look back at some notes and I see a meeting, one of the first meetings we had was in March of 2021. And so that’s three and a half years ago.”
“This has been a dream and a vision in the making. It’s developed over time. We’ve tried to get good input from the community. This is truly a community effort and it’s for the community. This is a building that will add significantly to the quality of life in Oxford and in the surrounding area. We call it the Oxford Community Center, but it’s really Oxford and the larger surrounding area of Cumberland County.”
“And it’s been tremendous to see the support that it’s received… It’s not an easy journey to go from a dream to reality, but we’ve managed to get there. And to see this site behind me now is just absolutely terrific… I do want to reinforce the fact that the people who are making this happen are community volunteers.”
The Building
Hoffman took a moment to list the features of the new Community Centre, namely:
• a full-size gymnasium
• walking track on the second story around the gymnasium
• a fitness centre
• a YMCA childcare facility
• the town’s Library, which will relocate from Rideau St.
• a community kitchen
• an internet café
• multipurpose meeting rooms
• capacity to hold up to 600 people for events
At about 35-thousand square feet, Hoffman said the facility should be completed by the end of 2025. The solar panel-equipped roof will generate 85 kilowatts of energy and the construction adheres to sustainability practices and net-zero goals.
While federal, provincial and private foundation funding were the major enabling factors in this project, the contribution of the Town of Oxford was also essential. Hoffman noted, “the town of Oxford has been supportive right from the very start. And we couldn’t have this site without the town of Oxford. So this has been a major contribution. And it’s a perfect site, if you think about it, for the community centers, right in the middle of town. It’s right next to the school, so that the kids from the school can more easily utilize it.”
Oxford Town Council had previously set aside this parcel of land for the future Community Centre. In monetary terms, the town waived building permit fees that would have amounted to $35-thousand (based on the original estimated project cost of $12-million); a direct financial contribution of $200-thousand over five years; a waiver of property taxes for a period of 20 years; and the value of the land itself.
RELATED: Government of Canada Press Release on Oxford Community Centre funding
Thanks Mark for this updated.