The family after whom a Truro community center is named has pledged up to $500,000 as initial funding to establish a foundation aimed at coordinating events that would provide financial backing for the facility. A gathering was held in December by a group known as the Friends of the Rath Eastlink Community Center, with various members from Colchester and Truro councils present at a conference room in a Truro hotel on Monday evening.
During the meeting, former board members of the facility and the Rath family, who contributed $1 million towards the construction of the building over a decade ago, made presentations. The community center, which features an NHL-sized rink, a rock-climbing wall, a pool, and a fitness center, has been managed by the Central Nova Scotia Civic Center Society since its opening in 2013, co-owned by the Town of Truro and the Municipality of Colchester.
Nevertheless, the operating agreement is set to conclude on January 31 following a decision by Colchester council in October due to multiple contracts signed by society CEO Matt Moore that breached the agreement. Many of these contracts involved the society’s participation at the Nova Scotia Provincial Exhibition Complex in Bible Hill, N.S., which were also terminated.
The Department of Agriculture anticipates receiving a recommendation on future exhibition grounds operations early this year. Local business owner Duane Rath, who served as the society’s treasurer for nine years, expressed that the current $1.5 million annual operating grant from the municipal owners is insufficient and additional revenue sources are necessary, as raising ice and membership fees can only go so far.
To support the community facility, the Rath family proposed committing an initial $250,000 to establish a foundation and matching donations up to an additional $250,000. The foundation would take on the responsibility of organizing events previously managed by the society, such as the Nova Scotia Stampede. Council members from both municipalities expressed interest in potentially delaying the termination of the operating agreement to explore the foundation model.
In December, discussions began to remove citizen positions from the society’s board, retaining only council members and forming an advisory committee consisting of community representatives. Truro resident Ibel Scammell, a regular user of the center, highlighted various issues affecting the facility, emphasizing the need for a shift in focus towards wellness rather than distractions like the exhibition grounds.
Although Colchester Mayor Christine Blair and Truro Mayor Cathy Hinton were absent from the meeting, Millbrook First Nation Chief Bob Gloade, a sponsor of the community center and its events, emphasized the importance of collaboration and the economic benefits generated by hosting events at the facility to cover operational costs.