Province to help communities access old schools

Pledges $2M to promote turning buildings into ‘hubs’

Communities that want to keep a closed school or other public building from being sold off will get their chance, with a new program that buys them time to make the case to keep them open as local hubs.

Infrastructure Minister Bob Chiarelli announced the $2 million fund on Thursday morning, which will cover the costs of the proposed buildings while giving groups18 months to pitch a “business plan.”

“The province’s role is to help make it easier for communities to come together and offer services in an integrated and co-ordinated way, and to make the best use of public space,” he said in a statement.

The hope is that the funding will prompt local governments and community, parent and Indigenous groups to work together to figure out what kinds of services could be offered in the facilities — such as daycares, health clinics or employment services — secure them as partners, and create a business plan.

The move comes after widespread criticism that as school boards feel pressure to sell off unused space, there’s been no co-ordinated effort to allow communities to find ways to keep the buildings open and viable.

Last December, the provincial government announced it was contributing $20 million to a 30,000square-foot community hub and school project in the Bloor-Dufferin area, with the school board contributing $121.5 million by selling off 7.3 acres of land at the site. The project is considered a model for the province, and residents there have asked for it to include affordable housing, child care, and even space for local artists.

The province’s special adviser on hubs, Karen Pitre, was also at Thursday morning’s announcement. “This new initiative is another tool that is critical to supporting the community hubs movement in Ontario,” she said. “Having sufficient time and resources is critical to their success. The high level of engagement around community hubs is encouraging, and I look forward to continuing our work together.” The announcement was made at the St. James Town Community Corner in downtown Toronto.

The $2 million is to help cover the costs of maintenance of the buildings under consideration while plans are being developed, over the 18 months.

Applications will be accepted starting July 4.