A local corporation that spearheaded a project more than a decade in the making has disbanded, leaving a regional municipality to pick up the pieces.
Oliver Paipoonge mayor Lucy Kloosterhuis learned last month that the Thunder Bay Agriplex and Equestrian Corporation was no more, leaving a 51,000-square foot partially completed building on an 8.5 hectare piece of municipal land on Highway 130.
“There was no information in the letter at all as to the reasoning, just that they had folded,” she said.
The complex was built with a $1.6 million heritage fund grant in 2000. The project itself called for the building, bleachers and even RV hook-ups. But the corporation had trouble over the years securing the rest of the funding. Last year, board president Maggie Cummins had said the project needed another $1 million to complete it.
“I feel for them. I’m sure all council does because their commitment was 150 per cent, they just could not find the funding privately to see this thing go,” Kloosterhuis said.
The building needs a septic tank. And while it has hydro and plumbing hook-ups, there are no washrooms or other amenities completed yet. Kloosterhuis said it’s not known yet what the building will need to get it up to code.
“It’s been sitting for quite a while so we’ll have to have an engineering study done.”
Kloosterhuis said council will have to decide whether to hold onto the building or see if there is any interest from organizations to take it over. Oliver Paipoonge will be looking at its options this fall.
“I can’t see anything happening in July or August, it’s vacation time for a lot of our administration and we have a council that’s very busy out in the fields haying but I do know council will be looking at any options or suggestions out there,” she said.
Any ideas or suggestions can be directed to the Oliver Paipoonge administration office or one of its councillors.
