robotics lab

By Chelsey St-Pierre
The Suburban

The West Island Black Community Association (WIBCA) announced that it will build a new community centre to accommodate growing needs. To complete the project that it hopes to break ground on in 2025, WIBCA is aiming to raise $4 million.

With over 400 members, WIBCA is a well established community resource. With the expansion of activities offered, it relies at the moment on the accommodations offered at the Dollard-des-Ormeaux Civic Centre.

“We decided we have to make space for the needs of everyone in the community, especially for the youth,” WIBCA president Joan Lee said.

Lee says the expansion will allow WIBCA to offer its services under one roof. Some of those services include the Maasai Boys mentoring program, tutoring on Saturday mornings, fitness classes for seniors, a pro bono legal clinic and the award-winning robotics club.

The new building will house shared spaces for group activities, as well as a robotics lab.

Grade 8 student Makayla Ayitey-Armah, who attends the robotics program at WIBCA. says she wants to become an astronaut. “Thanks to WIBCA, I’ve visited the Canadian Space Agency.”

“Anybody that’s come to any event at WIBCA knows that this building is vibrant and it’s a reflection of the community here,” WIBCA vice president Frank Baylis said.

WIBCA has already raised a portion of the money needed with the help of private companies to realize its new development and has been promised support from neighbouring municipalities as well as the Quebec government. n