It’s the end of one chapter and the start of a new one for the Elora Greenspace.
With the final payment now in, those involved with the years-long fundraising, can now look to the future.
Fred Gordon explained that as administrator of the Elora BIA, he has worked at coordinating the BIA’s participation in the payment of the Elora Greenspace along with the cost overrun by fundraising.
“The Elora BIA is still in the process of paying off the $50,000 interest free loan which came from the township – that will be paid off at the end of 2017.”
“We are here because the fundraising through CWCF (Centre Wellington Community Foundation) has raised enough to pay the cost overrun – which was over and above the amount the Elora BIA was prepared to pay.”
Throughout the process, there were solicited donations through the CWCF and the Great Gatsby fundraiser in 2015. Gordon added the dress-up event was actually where a large amount of this final payment came from.
“We’ve had several, including one very large recent personal donation, by individuals who’ve believed in the project and put the money forth to help pay the cost overrun.”
In describing the foundation’s role, Jason Thompson explained the citizen’s group and the BIA needed a place where donations could be made and provide charitable receipts.
“To promote it further, within the foundation we created a specific fund for the greenspace. We might continue the fund for other greenspace initiatives. But we’ve got completion for phase one.”
Kirk McElwain said that historically, “I was part of the citizens’ group that started on this thing, and became part of the fundraising committee when we needed to start raising money to pay for it.
“When our budget went through the roof from what was originally proposed, the BIA stepped up and did their thing with the township and got a couple of zero interest loans.”
But the remaining half of the amount still needed to be raised by citizens.
“It’s taken a little while longer than anticipated.”
McElwain said the idea of a ceremony was to thank the community for all their donations – the large and the small have all added up to $40,000 in the last two to three years.
He noted Suncor made an early donation and the horticultural society has made a couple of nice-sized donations. “But the citizens have taken over and raised the last $40,000.”
Thompson noted one of the campaigns he found interesting was the jar placements at local businesses.
Gordon said at the start, jars were placed in establishments throughout the community.
“People could throw spare charge into them, and through the jars we raised an additional $1,000.”
McElwain clarified that while the campaign included the jars, “we were pushing for donations through the community foundation at the same time. During that one month and a bit … we raised almost $8,000.”
He added the other item to highlight was “We’re not done … we’re done paying for what is there today. There are many plans for the future and the CWFC fund is going to remain. We are going to look at upgrading the greenspace over time – to make it more accessible. Over time the greenspace fund could not only be used for this particular greenspace … but any park in Centre Wellington.”
Thompson stressed “we’ve completed phase one and we wanted to take this moment to thank the community.”
