The eastlink Wild Blueberry Centre (eWBC) — Oxford’s new community centre — receives a significant donation from The Bank of Nova Scotia to support community programming, once open.
You might think that we’d be used to it by now… a donor brings a cheque, they take a tour of the new facility, and there are “oohs!” and the occasional “wow, look at that!”. But seeing this $24.5-million building come together is always a treat. It certainly was for representatives of the Bank of Nova Scotia, who came by the project site to deliver a $200-thousand cheque and put the company’s name on what will be the biggest gathering space in town once the doors open later this month.
The eWBC’s Matthew Bragg welcomed the donation, saying: “Without the support of this very significant donation this project would not be possible. We have been very fortunate with the support of Scotiabank and and will be proud to add its name to what will become one of the most used spaces in the Community Centre.”
Fellow board member Jordan Burkhardt adds: “This is a significant contribution and investment by Scotiabank in our community. The $200,000 represents the second largest non-governmental donation behind the River Philip Foundation. We are honored and grateful for their support. The response from corporations and individuals in and around Cumberland County has been tremendous. We are so fortunate for this support.”
Scotiabank’s Oxford branch manager Bryan Grue accompanied representatives from the bank’s Atlantic Region offices as they posed at the fundraising thermometer at the site’s entrance on Lower Main St., and later toured the grounds. With him were Nicola Ray Smith, Regional Senior Vice President, Atlantic Region; Chris Lepholtz, Managing Director, Corporate & Investment Banking — Atlantic Canada; and Cathy Menear, District Vice President at Scotiabank, Halifax & Northeast Nova Scotia.
“We’re proud to support the Oxford community in building a new community hub that will bring people together and expand access to vital local services. Through ScotiaRISE, Scotiabank’s community investment initiative, this support reflects our commitment to help strengthen communities in Atlantic Canada, and create meaningful opportunities for individuals and families to thrive within their communities.” —Nicola Ray Smith, Regional Senior Vice President, Atlantic Region, Scotiabank.
The Bank of Nova Scotia’s donation comes via its ScotiaRISE initiative, a 10-year, $500 million initiative to promote economic resilience in communities.
The Scotiabank donation is among the last large contributions that will enable the fundraising effort to meet its goal. For members of the volunteer board that has overseen this project since its inception, it’s an exciting last few weeks of activity to put the finishing touches on this impressive community facility.
The eastlink Wild Blueberry Centre should be operational by the end of June, with the official grand opening scheduled for Saturday, July 18th. The all-day event kicks off at 11:00am, and will feature live music, local food vendors, bouncy castles, face painting and other family-friendly activities. Fireworks are also on the agenda that evening.
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