Sarah Pledge Dickson, LJI Journalist
The non-profit that runs the old Victoria High School building in Shawville, now home to Shawville Apartments Inc., has launched a new community fundraising effort to collect the money to do some much-needed repairs.
“For our goal at this moment, we need probably about $250,000 to accomplish the list that we’re looking to take care of,” Lyssa McDonald, president of the Shawville Apartments Inc. board of directors, told THE EQUITY.
This, she said, is the price tag contractors have given her for repairing the deteriorating bricks on the building’s exterior, replacing the carpet, updating the windows, renovating the bathrooms and updating kitchen cabinetry.
McDonald said the board, which includes vice-president Sherri Lasalle, treasurer Naomi Burgess-Goyette, secretary Patricia Barker and directors Kyle Harris and Danielle Villeneuve, has received some funding over the past year to assist with the needed repairs, including $9,500 from the office of MNA André Fortin and $10,000 from Pontiac businessman Gord Black, but not enough to cover the foreseen costs.
McDonald said that even if the non-profit receives the federal and provincial funding for which it has applied, it will need to rely on some community support to get all the work done.
Last month, the non-profit launched two separate contests on its Facebook page – a 50/50 draw, and a draw for a $100 Cabela’s gift card, just some of the efforts the group is planning to help raise the needed money. The group hopes to have more fundraisers in the coming year and work with other local organizations to reach its goals.
The building was converted into apartments after the high school closed in 1983, and now offers affordable living with a set rental rate and currently has a waiting list for apartments. McDonald estimates that 70 per cent of the residents are living on a fixed income, and for this reason, the non-profit tries to keep rent affordable, below $650 a month.
“We try and make just enough money to pay the bills and do what we can from rent and outside donations,” McDonald said. “But at this point, the building needs so much that we need more than just the rent to be able to renovate what we need.”
The board started this initiative to do some of the more expensive but much-needed repairs last year while Keith Harris was the president. Since his passing, McDonald has taken up the helm and hopes to see Harris’ vision through.
Residents of the building said there are definitely some changes that need to be made.
Angelika Beaverdam moved in around March this year. She’s happy with her apartment but said that there are some things that need updating to make the apartments more livable for seniors.
“With the draft in the windows, your hydro goes up and you’re cold,” Beaverdam said. “And I think they should renovate the bathrooms because the old taps are hard to work with.”
Bruce Walsh has been living in one of the apartments since 2016. When asked what he thought needed to be updated, he pointed to the carpet in the hallway.
Walsh said that the board came to his apartment and asked him what he thought needed to be improved. He said that he hopes they manage to find hardwood under the carpet.
Bill McCleary, mayor of Shawville, said the municipality will help out the board with the grant applications to the federal and provincial government. He also hopes the community will support the project.
“The 50/50 was a great idea. It’s probably going to be surprising to see how much the board can raise,” he said.
Over the past year, some updates have been made thanks to the donations from Gord Black and Fortin, as well as existing fundraising money the board had collected. This money was used to redo the exterior walkways that were slippery, the lighting and electrical in the hallways and for the addition of two sets of coin-operated washers and dryers.
Black said that he wanted to give back to the community, including to the building where he went to school. He said that he knew the building needed a lot of work and hopes to see it restored.
“That’s where I went to school for grades one, two and three,” Black said. “And my dad was instrumental in a small group of people on that first original committee that arranged to keep the building in the community.”