Goderich Memorial Community Centre officially opens for public use

COAST donated $100,000 to members of the GMCC board, as donations continue to be accepted to complete more upgrades to allow the facility to serve the community.

By: Kate Smith

Entirely volunteer-run, the Goderich Memorial Community Centre (GMCC) officially re-opened its doors on October 10 after some needed renovations and upgrades.

A building that has been adapted before, from an ice arena to an emergency-response and public-health facility, this building continues to give to the community as a space to gather.

Whether for music, shuffleboard, floor hockey, or a formal dinner, the GMCC is open and ready for Goderich to gather.

To ready the facility for opening, there have been thousands of hours of hard work happening behind the scenes.

Matt Hoy, Chair of the Board of Directors says to date, all that was needed to open the doors and make the centre operational has been completed.

The upgrades and repairs included numerous water issues with broken pipes, new lighting, heating and general extensive cleaning. The upstairs hall has had a complete rework, and the facility has new washrooms, new heating, ceiling painted, a bar and kitchen reno and is not a hall that can host 350, and renters can operate their own bar.

“It is perfect for buck and does where a family or organisation is looking to earn money,” said Hoy.

Despite these upgrades, Hoy explains that the building still needs extensive work. This includes to make the building fully insulated; to fix the siding, the mezzanine needs to be rebuilt to become more functional, and the main floor kitchen needs a complete rebuild.

“The main barn, the old ice surface requires portable partitions, and the entire barn needs to be painted and freshened up,” added Hoy.

Hoy says the support was overwhelming with an estimated $26,000 raised, which doesn’t include the $100,000 donation from the Coast, and another significant donation from a local family who wishes to remain unnamed presently.

Over 900 attended at various times of the day, which included live music, food, children area and tours of the work done to date.

“We are extremely grateful for the outpouring of love and support for a structure that has meant so much to people and will be an even greater focal point for the community,” Hoy remarked.

Bookings to date include a market, which will run in the main barn from November 14 until the end of May. This market will host local produce and craft vendors and is anticipated to be a massive success.

The centre has also started upstairs hall rentals, and weekly usage such as indoor ball hockey, pickleball and shuffleboard.

To date, $143,465 has been raised with a campaign goal of $750,000 for this nearly three-quarter of a century old building to continue serving the community.

Hoy says donations will be gladly accepted and ongoing, however, a major focus of the board is to do work as much as financially able to.

“It is very important to the board that we are fiscally responsible,” stressed Hoy.

“It is important this facility and organisation are around to serve the community for generations to come.”

Funding has come from the town for annual operational support and structural repairs to make the building usable, as the town is the landlord.

Grants are being written daily, and donations are beginning to come in.

For information on GMCC, how to book the facility or how to donate to the campaign visit https://goderichmemorialcc.ca