Our Community Halls

Three community halls within the township of Minden Hills are in jeopardy over the next two years of being closed - Irondale, Lochlin and Gelert. It is a complex issue of budget, maintenance, compliance and liability. Since the townships amalgamated, each hall has worked hard at being self-sufficient, to a great degree. Each hall has it's own board, it's own bank account, and it's own fundraisers. Currently, the municipality covers the halls under it's blanket municipal insurance policy, cuts the grass and maintains the driveways. The communities pay for heat and hydro and any improvements they may wish for. I grew up in one of these communities. From the outside observer, they seem to be old buildings that serve an ever-dwindling population, but look carefully, and you will learn that these are special places that keep these communities alive - they provide community dinners (spaghetti, St. Patrick's Day, socials); they keep the local bridge games going, offer meeting space for small non-profit groups and interest groups, supply parties for the children at Halloween and Christmas, local wedding and baby showers, and the list goes on and on and on......

No, they are not used as much as they once were - but that is about to change, for many reasons! Everything in life is cyclicle. What was once old is new again. Lifestyles are changing, people are jumping off their roller coasters and becoming more community-minded. They are eating and living better, small farms are becoming more popular as people want fresh foods once again, they are teaching their children to be involved too - all very good things. With improved transportation and roads, people no longer care about living "in town" or "way out there". These communities are becoming, once again, a great place to live!

Now is the time to help councillors understand the importance these halls carry. The memories they create for the children, the ability to make "signs on a road" represent a village, rather than a cluster of homes. It is time for the 3 communities to work together as one to get attention. A presentation has been created (still in development) that will serve 2 purposes: one, it will be used by each community as a starting point to beefing their usage of the Halls, with ideas of ways they can be used in the future; the second, is for local councillors - so they can better understand what these halls are to the local population.

Did you know it is incredibly inexpensive to rent these halls for an afternoon or evening? Depending on the hall, between $35 to $75, depending on whether you need it for a couple of hours, a full day, and if you need the kitchen. They offer a place for reunions, anniversary/birthday parties - you name it!

If you have any ideas or comments regarding the future use of the Halls, I would love to hear them. If you would like a copy of the presentation package, please let me know - it can be forwarded in pdf format. My email is carr2211@gmail.com

Our community halls - not just buildings!