New $17M recreation centre being built at Abegweit First Nation

CBC
·2 min read
The new centre will be used for everything from recreation to refuge during extreme climate events like post-tropical storm Fiona. (Abegweit First Nation - image credit)
The new centre will be used for everything from recreation to refuge during extreme climate events like post-tropical storm Fiona. (Abegweit First Nation - image credit)

The Abegweit First Nation will soon be hosting a new community centre in Scotchfort, thanks to $17 million from the P.E.I. and federal governments.

"This is something that we've been fighting for for 40 years: a place to meet and celebrate who we are," Chief Junior Gould said during the announcement Friday.

At the moment, he said, "we co-ordinate services out of an old barn."

Once complete, the centre will have recreational facilities, equipment and space for activities for people in his community and beyond, Gould said.

"What we're doing here is going to provide services and different opportunities for the eastern part of the Island."

Chief Junior Gould says securing the funding for the project is a testament to the hard work done by community members. "We know what we put into it, we're going to get out of it, and this is one of those situations."
Chief Junior Gould says securing the funding for the project is a testament to the hard work done by community members. "We know what we put into it, we're going to get out of it, and this is one of those situations."

Abegweit Chief Junior Gould hard work by community members helped secure the funding: 'We know what we put into it, we're going to get out of it, and this is one of those situations.' (Rick Gibbs/CBC News)

During and after extreme weather events, the building will be available for use as a warming or cooling centre for all residents in the region, said Lawrence MacAulay, the federal minister of agriculture and MP for the riding of Cardigan.

"It's so wonderful to see the development that's taken place here over the last few years," he said. "It's really so impressive."

'The centre will serve as a hub'

The building will be built to net-zero specifications. Ottawa's $9-million financial contribution comes from the Green and Inclusive Community Building program — a $1.5-billion fund that helps pay for green and accessible retrofits, repairs or upgrades.

The P.E.I. government is spending $8 million on the project, said Sidney MacEwen, the MLA for Morell-Donagh.

"The centre will serve as a hub, offering both essential and recreational services that support Indigenous people," said MacEwen.

He said it will also host sports tournaments, Mawi'omi celebrations, and other regional events and cultural activities.

The recreation centre will be connected to the new Abegweit Connects community building — a 7,000-square-foot facility that opened at Scotchfort last year.