PRESS RELEASES
St. Stephen Launches Civic Center Drive - Posted on 2008-04-17
St. Stephen Launches Civic Center Drive
Will Look To Calais For Support
By: Carol-Ann Nicholson
ST. STEPHEN – A group in St. Stephen wants to build a civic center that would serve both sides of the border. The plans call for a recreational facility which includes an NHL-sized skating arena, an eight-lane indoor pool, a walking and jogging track, a multi-purpose area and retail space.
Having now raised $1.2 million on its own, the Charlotte County Civic Center Committee officially launched a fund raising campaign last Wednesday with the objective being to raise another $3.5 million from the community. The town of St. Stephen has pledged $2.1 million. Realization of these funds would then put the project in a position to gain federal and provincial government funding which would complete the $15 million needed for the complex, which could be open by 2012.
About 140 enthusiastic people attended the launch held at the St. Stephen Elementary School Auditorium. Designs for the complex were on display and a video about the project played in the background as the meeting progressed.
In attendance, from the U.S. side, were Calais Town Manager Diane Barnes together with two of the members of the Honorary Committee from Calais, Lorraine and John Mitchell. Three other members of the Honorary Committee are Mayor Vinton Cassidy and Nancy and Sidney Unobskey.
The campaign co-chairs for the fund raising drive are Peter and Norah Heelis. They noted the American participation in the project and Peter Heelis said, “We have some very capable people on board on the Calais side and they are committed to this project. They have not initiated any fundraising on that side of the border yet, but they will.
“What we wanted to do first is form a team and thought that the Calais part of the fund raising effort would be scheduled for after the official launch.”
President of the project is Richard Fulton who introduced David and Diane Ganong as the campaign’s honorary co-chairs.
David Ganong said that the largest donation to date, $173,000, came from Robert Quartermain, Vancouver, B.C. Quartermain, whose family comes from St. Stephen, is the president of a large silver company.
“I knew Bob Quartermain through connections with the University of New Brunswick,” David Ganong told the crowd. “I first asked him to join the honorary committee and explained the project and he came back and said, “Gee, I’m not sure if I have the time, but here is a donation.”
According to information from the committee, Quartermain said: “I believe that I am who I am today due in large part to the life and opportunities I enjoyed in my earlier years growing up and learning about life in St. Stephen. I see the Charlotte County Civic Centre project as a wonderful occasion to give something back to enrich the community.”
A major reason for a civic center, according to both Ganongs, is that the area needs something to attract new people such as professionals and medical people.
David Ganong said that as a business man he sees the new Civic Center as an investment.
“This is a chance to improve our community by adding another dimension to what we can offer to those currently living in our region,” he said. “It’s not going to be just a sports complex and it’s not going to be just a cultural venue. It will be these things, but much more. It will be a place where everyone can go to interact and spend time with their friends and neighbor. Much has been said about the difficulty our region often has attracting and retaining doctors and other medical professionals. We have a fine hospital with dedicated and talented staff, but many of them are approaching retirement. Although the competition for replacements is fierce, we as a community cannot afford to fail. We need the competitive edge our new Civic Centre will provide.”
The location for the new facility has not been decided but Fulton says that will happen at the right time.