Curl Moncton says that the MCA building in Moncton, which currently houses a group that helps house and feed the homeless, has tentatively been sold.
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“A purchase agreement has been reached,” said Jacques Robichaud, vice president of Curl Moncton, but he would not say at this point who plans to buy the former curling club.
Robichaud said the money from the sale of the building will be used to fund a planned expansion at Curl Moncton’s facilities on Lockhart Avenue in Moncton.
Curl Moncton plans to expand its current five ice sheet facility to a 10 ice sheet facility. Robichaud said Curl Moncton hopes to have the expansion in place by 2019, in time to potentially host the 2019 Brier.
The City of Moncton has put in a bid to host the 2019 Brier and Robichaud said the expanded facility “would be used as a practice surface” for Curl Canada’s athletes.
In February, the provincial government pledged $500,000 towards Curl Moncton’s strategic infrastructure project saying the expanded facility will allow for additional curling opportunities for all ages and better position the facility to host major national and international events.
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But the sale of the MCA means that The Humanity Project, a group that helps house and feed the homeless, will have to find a new home by the end of April. The group has been feeding people in need out of the former curling club since December 2015.
Moncton’s Hillary Walsh regularly takes her family to meal programs. She said she’s concerned about what’s next for the group.
“I think that the city could be a lot more to help the people out here” she added, “It is really really sad that people are not going to have a place to go.”
A representative from the Humanity Project, Shelley Butler, recently told Global News that the group is currently looking for a new building where they can help house and feed people in need, but finding an appropriate building has been a challenge. The group was hoping to get funding from the city to buy the building, but that option was not approved.
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“While Moncton City Council did not support the request for a $200,000 loan to THP to purchase the building due to serious safety concerns at the building, it has approved a $250,000 grant over 10 years ($25,000 a year) to support the group’s food program,” said City of Moncton spokesperson Isabelle LeBlanc in a statement released on Thursday.
The city says “The Humanity Project was also provided with a list of potential properties in the community and a list of possible grants.”