1953 HMCC plebiscite ignored public will. 2013 situation.

In 1953,  Hantsport held a plebiscite to determine if the Churchill House should be demolished. The house was in poor condition and needed a lot of work.The proposed community centre which would replace it would provide a site for conferences and dances.

Results:
243 voted to demolish the house.
  20 voted against demolishing the house.

In 2013, 60 years later, the Churchill House stands. And the Hantsport Memorial Community Centre board knows that the status quo cannot continue. It has asked, "How can we move forward and sustain the building?"

Treasurer Bill Preston reported for April 2012- March 2013
Total Revenue: $46,622.56
Expenses:         $40,609.11  The majority was spend on the Churchill House and the Red Barn.
Net income       $6,013.435

The HMCC Corporation's assets as determined by a real estate agent include:
Churchill House $625,000.
Red Barn $30,000.
27 acres of land - value difficult to determine

The board hired an external consultant who made several recommendations. The primary one was to turn the house into a bed & breakfast for it to be "a self-sustaining business entity with added value facilities for community and business use." His other recommendations will make this possible.

The HMCC board held its AGM on October 24 and its public meeting on October 29. The purpose of the public meeting was to inform the public of the HMCC's direction.

Now the board will test the recommendations and develop a business plan, according to President Lorraine McQueen. This may involve first renovating the kitchen so can be used by the community. This will give added value to the house and to the town.

Feedback indicates that the community wants to keep Churchill House.

Resident Joe Foy suggested that the lack of continuity on the board stems from the retirements of board members. The bylaws call for 10 members: 2 are town council appointees.  This year, 5 members are beginning 2 year terms. For continuity in the board, he suggested staggering the terms. The terms for 3 members could end , for example, in 2013, 3 in 2014, and 3 in 2015. President McQueen stated that this is being addressed.

This HMCC board has been the best board in the past 7 years, according to Ron Such. "It is not content with the status quo. It is not just existing. It is passionate and driven. "

Revised with more details  Nov. 3/13. 9:24 AM.