CODERRE — The communities of Coderre and Courval are in a pickle. To get out of it they have to raise the roof of the community centre in Coderre.
The price tag: almost half a million dollars.
The former public school has been the community centre since 1997.
The roof-raising project is split into three phases with the first at $150,000.
“It needs to be done immediately. That’s crucial,’’ says spokesperson Carol Lepine. “If we can’t do the roof we'll have to shut down and we don’t have a lot.’’
The centre serves an estimated 80 families in the community, she said.
Repairs to the roof have been done once since the school was converted into a community centre.
“We get used a lot, for funerals, birthdays, family reunions.”
The school lab room was converted into a large kitchen with a huge island for meal preparation. One room stores first responders’ equipment.
The village office, Palliser Regional Library, a fitness room, games room and kids’ playroom are located in the school.
“The kids’ room doesn’t get used much but we are getting a lot of babies,” she said.
The outdoor playground is used. “Kids walk to the playground when mom and dad are in the bar.”
The roof leaks in two places: the girls’ shower room and the west hallway. A large garbage can in the hall collects water from the asphalt/gravel roof.
A leak is expected any time in the gym onto the hardwood floor used for volleyball, floor hockey and gatherings. This time round the community plans a slightly angled roof to avoid the climate damage to flat roofs.
The initial $150,000 cost for the first phase of three isn’t as insurmountable as it seems.
“We have two anonymous donors who will match donations up to $75,000,” making the first phase a bit less burdensome. They have looked at government grants.
“They are hard to get. Some of them you have to pay for it before you get a grant.’’
The centre holds a major fundraiser every year with a dinner theatre one year and a ladies' night out the next.
“We get a lot of support from all around — Gravelbourg, Parkbeg, Mossbank, Mortlach.”
They have set up a GoFundMe page called Save the Coderre Courval Community Centre Roof.
“We decided to do the GoFundMe because the Internet has such a wide reach. We have people with connections to Coderre all over the place.
The page will help fund the roof. “Every little bit helps,” Lepine says.
Lepine is confident the appeal will succeed.
When a storm blew the roof off the local hotel just after a new owner bought it, the community rallied and raised funds for a new roof.
Neither Coderre nor Courval has many services left.
Coderre has a bar grille, post office, Catholic Church and the community centre. Courval has a post office.
Lepine said they are looking at a fowl supper this year. “We haven’t had one for a long time. The Shamrock Catholic Church has one. We don’t like to compete.
“They have run out of ladies to do it.’’
By Oct.16 the GoFundMe page had raised $3,575.
Ron Walter can be reached at [email protected]
