Faraday Township’s Mayor says recent losses on the North Hastings Community Centre made his council decline a Bancroft request to help fund it.
At their April meeting, councillors opted not to contribute $10,000 to the arena building, located across their eastern border.
Bancroft has been reaching out to neighbours to help fund the NHCC, which it took over last year. The move was in response to the dissolving of a commission — which drew tax dollars from Bancroft, Hastings Highlands, Faraday and Carlow-Mayo — to fund the centre.
A 2021 audit of the NHCC discovered the building had more than $100,000 in losses. Mayor Dennis Purcell said that was a concern.
“In the past five years, (the commission was) losing money,” he says. “We’re not going to have enough money (to continue funding it).”
“That’s what prompted this. There might have been a little bit of difficulty, should I say. But I really hope we can heal, and everything can work.”
Bancroft Mayor Paul Jenkins says the town is exploring new ways to fund the arena. It may consider issuing a fee for non-Bancroft residents to use the building.