Yes, the one outside your kitchen window is too, but today we’re talking about the Oxford & Area Community Centre Committee‘s fundraising indicator, outside the construction zone on Lower Water Street. With the support mentioned below, the total funds raised for the new building are approximately $23,362,720, moving ever-closer to the total projected cost of $24.5-million.
On Wednesday, August 13th, representatives of the Quebec-based National Bank of Canada came to the Wild Blueberry Capital to present a cheque for $25,000 to the OCC Committee. Financial partners with Eastlink, part of the Bragg Group of companies, the National Bank was represented by Shawn O’Brien, Regional Manager for the bank’s Wealth Management arm, and Anne Guimond-Nadeau, Regional Vice-President Atlantic.
OCC Committee Members Troy Miller, Paul Jones, Jordan Burkhardt, Matthew Bragg, David Hoffman, Leta MacDiarmid, and Chrystal McNutt pose with National Bank representatives Anne Guimond-Nadeau and Shawn O’Brien on-site at the Oxford Community Centre.
Asked why the National Bank decided to support the Oxford Community Centre project, O’Brien said “We find projects like this of great interest to us because it’s effectively going to become the heartbeat of the community. It’s something that lines up with our philosophy, our corporate objectives as a firm to make an impact in people’s lives. It looks like this project is certainly going to accomplish that.”
Guimond-Nadeau said National Bank is increasingly involved in commercial projects in Atlantic Canada, even though its name recognition may not be high among the public: “It’s part of our vision to be a bank that services all provinces across Canada and that’s something that we’re working and striving to be right now. It doesn’t always look like bricks and mortars, if I can put it that way, but we are actively looking in Atlantic Canada as well to have a flagship in Nova Scotia. So that is on the horizon, but we already have a significant presence, like I said, maybe not with branches in every province, but we are actively servicing large segments in this area. It can be in agriculture, it can be in real estate, it can be in commercial, it can be in cinema, it can be in pharmacy, we like the health sector as well. So we have a presence and we’re looking to expand on that.”
O’Brien adds, “We are very, very pleased to be involved with this project and to be associated with the community and to be invited to participate and partner with the Bragg family and Oxford Frozen Foods.
The Town of Oxford
Prior to the National Bank cheque presentation, representatives of the Town of Oxford and the OCC committee also came together to recognize the municipality’s contribution. Taking into account the donation of town land ($97,500); a five-year funding commitment totalling $200,000; and the forgiveness of Building Permit fees ($49,000 — a percentage of the project’s total value), the Town is providing $346,000 in financial and in-kind support.
OCC Committee Members recognize the Town of Oxford’s commitment to the Oxford Community Centre project.
[L-R: Matthew Bragg, Padraic Moore, Paul Jones, Jordan Burkhardt, David Hoffman, Mayor Greg Henley, Chrystal McNutt, Leta MacDiarmid, Troy Miller]
David Hoffman has been involved with the Oxford Community Centre project from the beginning. Speaking at Wednesday morning’s presentation, he said: “We’re really pleased to be able to provide the community with this terrific building. It should be open in the early part of Spring, and to be able to do it with the full support of the town but without putting any further burden on the tax base at all is fantastic.”
Hoffman notes that town representatives saw the importance of the OCC project early on:
“We truly appreciate the support of the town, they’ve been supportive right from the very outset, and I think they’ve done everything they could possibly do to help us, and I don’t think we could have got it done without the town’s support. So we’re very very appreciative. And looking forward to the opening, still a few months away obviously, and hopeful that the town fully utilizes it — and not just the town, this is the town of Oxford plus the surrounding area — it’s open to everybody, and we’re expecting it will be very well used. We think it’s transformational for the area.”
Hoffman hopes the show of support from the town, the Municipality of Cumberland County (which provided $350,000 earlier this month), and the National Bank will lead others to step up and top off that fundraising thermometer:
“We’re excited by it, excited to be able to make these kind of announcements, and encourage people who want to contribute to completing this centre now, to also make a further donation. So we’re very very excited, and we’re looking forward to more announcements in the near future.”
Donations & Charitable Receipts
Donations in support of the Oxford Community Centre project will be recognized.
Charitable donation receipts will be issued for donations of $10 or more. The Registered Charity number is 795913102RR0001.
Gifts may be made over 1-3 years. Donations can be made to the address below, hand delivered to Connie’s Financial at 4974 Main St, Oxford or via e-transfer at oxfordcommunitycentre@gmail.com
Oxford and Area Community Centre
PO Box 579
Oxford, NS
BOM 1P0
