By Joanne Jordan, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Guysborough Journal
GOSHEN: Members of the committee that operates the Goshen Community and Recreation Centre continue to be busy holding and planning fundraisers to help finance repairs and upgrades to the facility.
“It is the lifeblood – without the centre we have nothing,” the committee offered in a statement to the Journal, adding that the facility “is helping to keep our community together and alive.”
Long-time committee member Lisa Myers said: “I honestly don’t think a day goes by when our hall isn’t used.” Stressing the importance of keeping it well-maintained and up to date, she added: “[That’s important] so people can continue to enjoy it and can have it here for years to come.”
Myers noted that the Centre receives money annually from Warden James Fuller, who serves as councillor for the area, through his discretionary $4,000 district fund. In an email, Fuller confirmed that he will continue to use the account to support Centre events.
“[They] work diligently seeking grants and awards for improvements, and should be commended,” he said, noting their “great dinner sales.”
Myers explained that to cover power and Internet costs, “which are rising all the time,” along with maintenance bills and other “small projects,” the Centre plans fundraisers.
Most recently, however, with help from provincial funding programs, the group has been able to install a steel roof and elevator-style chair lift.
“The grants usually cover 80 per cent of [the] cost, [and] we must contribute 20 per cent,” Myers explained.
The hall became an official emergency comfort centre in St. Mary’s after it installed a generator in 2023, which Myers said: “allows the public to have access to power to prepare meals, charge cell phones or to stay warm when it’s not possible to do that in their own homes.”
Eighty per cent of the cost of that was covered by the provincial government’s community generator program, along with 15 per cent from the St. Mary’s Emergency Measures Office and five per cent through the Centre’s own resources.
Beyond this, the hall has a fitness room, complete with treadmills and elliptical equipment. Users, who must 18 and over, can receive a key to access it. To help keep the community informed on upcoming events, the municipality has funded a new outdoor message board.
“That was huge – it really helps us let people know what’s going on,” Myers said.
The centre also serves as a free meeting place for various organizations, including the local 4-H Club, a mom-and-tot program, game days for seniors and the Goshen Volunteer Fire Department. Guest speakers from the Antigonish Women’s Resource Centre have made presentations on family abuse, wills and fraud prevention, while Giffin’s Funeral Home has delivered messages on funeral planning.
Said Myers: “[They’ve been] really informative… to help keep people aware.”
There are also blood pressure clinics, on the third Wednesday of each month, along with monthly by-appointment foot clinics. Sports teams use the building for meetings and fundraisers; the municipality’s recreation department runs day camps there; and the Guysborough County Adult Learning Association hosts a variety of tutoring sessions.
As for the free lunches the Centre’s volunteers prepare regularly, Myers said, “The committee feels this is one way to make sure that seniors are receiving a healthy meal.”
The organization also hosts annual Canada Day and Halloween celebrations, along with a Remembrance Day service in November, which includes a light lunch. And, since 1995, it has hosted a Christmas tree lighting celebration and a visit from Santa.
From church luncheons to funerals, weddings, birthday and anniversary parties and more, Myers noted that the hall is “always a hub of activity.”
As for fundraisers, she said, the Centre hosts Tuesday cribbage, from 7-9 p.m. Every second Monday from 9:30-11 a.m., there’s a coffee break social gathering, which is “well attended by local and surrounding residents.” Turkey suppers, the organization’s “major fundraiser,” take place twice a year. And, each fall, they host a yard sale, which includes canteen services.
Myers explained that the Centre has staged two events, so far, where vendors rent tables to sell homemade products for those shopping for Christmas gifts. Volunteers also manage its bargain shop, which offers gently used clothing and home décor items at low prices.
“Every family in the community has attended an event or function at the centre, making memories. It brings the community together,” Myers said, adding that the Centre’s committee is working to continue that tradition.
For more information about the Goshen Community and Recreation Centre, including the event schedule or how to get involved, contact Myers at 902-318-4401 or Laurie Chisholm at 902-783-2291, or follow them on Facebook, as well as through the St. Mary’s municipal newsletter.