Resource centre on the move
Julie Crouse is getting ready for a big move; as executive director of the Central Nova Women’s Resource Centre (CNWRC) she is overseeing the organization’s move into its new home on Dominion Street.
The centre made a deal to purchase the Victorian-style house at 67 Dominion St. and the closing date is May 1.
“It’s very exciting,” said Crouse. “Many hours of planning went into making this happen.
“When we moved into the Esplanade the idea was to take some time and figure out how to move forward with a purchase. We planned and had a visioning session and this space met our needs.”
Some of the features that made the building attractive are the accessible ramp at the back, accessible washrooms, wide hallways, a large space for groups, four offices on the main floor and outdoor space. It has an apartment on the second floor that will be used as overflow for offices, and a garage for storage and some Girl Power camp activities. The partially finished basement will also be for storage. A third-floor section of open attic may be developed into usable space in the future.
This will be the fifth location for the centre since it opened in 1999, and continued to outgrow space in other buildings.
“One of the advantages is that we don’t have to do much before we move in,” said Crouse. “It feels a bit like a coming of age for the women’s centre and we want this to be our forever home.”
She said during the past couple of years a reserve was kept for a down payment and the Credit Union worked with them to arrange a mortgage.
The CNWRC receives government funding each year and employs four core staff and 2.5 project staff members.
The CNWRC will close the Esplanade location May 9, begin their move May 12 and reopen on Dominion Street May 23. An open house will be held at 2 p.m. on June 8.