The Connaught Youth Centre (CYC) has to attract new users or the old users will soon lose their home, say centre organizers.
Royal Canadian Legion representatives, which leases the building from the city, told the centre's board of directors they could no longer afford to subsidize the centre, according to Scott and Theresa Johnston, parent representatives for the cadets on the centre's board of directors.
Efforts to reach the Legion's organizers were not successful.
The CYC is home to four cadet groups, a boxing club, a badminton group and others. But it's not enough to pay the bills, say the Johnstons, who also look after the bookings for the centre, and much of the basic maintenance.
As was previously reported in The Citizen, a drop-in or activity centre for the youth of the VLA neighbourhood, Connaught-Millar area and downtown is in consideration.
But until he read the city's response in The Citizen, Scott Johnston did not know that as the owner, the City of Prince George retained veto power over new users, and anything contentious could go as far as a hearing before mayor and council.
Nonetheless, he said, the financial need is too great to stand by and watch a time-honoured building and a set of valuable community activities come to a close.
"We can't have it just as a cadet hall because it is too expensive to run," he said.
Johnston said the provincial government provided the CYC board with a grant of $60,000 but basic utilities alone cost more than $40,000 a year, and the old structure needs much maintenance.
There is no guarantee, he said, that they will ever get another gaming grant.
"Each cadet corps gets gaming funds of their own. We had to reach out on our own, with the help of others, especially [MLA] Shirley Bond's office, to get this gaming grant to stand on our own for a little while."
One of the stipulations for further gaming funds is it must apply to a program. Renting a facility is not a program.
The proposed drop-in centre is only the early sketches of an idea, he said. It would not cancel out any of the current user groups' access to the building, but since the CYC has a unique 24-hour zoning permit, it can be used around the clock.
Late-night and off-hour recreation and character development for youth would be a sensible fit, he said, since that need strongly exists in that area of town.
"We won't do anything drastic that will hurt the neighbourood or change the way the CYC runs. We won't be attracting any crime, I can assure them of that," he said.
"I've seen what cadets has done for my own kids an so many others, so I am in it for the kids. It is one of the best groups and best facilities we have in this city and I want to see it keep running."
Johnston said directors are open to suggestions to help pay the bills, fit within its funding mandate, and win the approval of municipal staff and council.
Anyone with ideas for centre financing or uses is asked to call 250-964-8201 or email [email protected]. A visioning meeting will be held in late August to brainstorm the building's future.
