Ville Co-operative shutting down
Northside community organization to cease operations due to lack of funding
The Ville Co-operative, a community-driven organization offering after-school childcare and training programs on Fredericton’s north side, is citing funding shortfalls as the cause of its closure.
In a recent email to people who'd expressed interest in some of its programs, the organization - based in the Unity Centre, the former Alexander Gibson Memorial School in the Marysville neighbourhood of Fredericton - announced it's ceasing to be.
"We regret to inform you that The Ville Co-operative has discontinued all operations, and the board is working toward dissolving the organization by the end of the year," the email stated.
"The long-standing financial struggles of the co-op were dramatically worsened during COVID. Like so many other community organizations, the Ville Co-op is facing a high level of debt that it has neither the funds nor the capacity to service."
It noted the co-operative will no longer be a tenant at the Unity Centre as of Oct. 31.
The Ville stated mandate was, according to its website, a focus “on renewable energy, food security, physical literacy and empowerment through social innovation.”
In practice, it was best known for its after-school childcare program, ReConnect Kids, woodworking and pottery classes, event space and agricultural programs.
Jennifer Landry, president of the Ville Co-operative’s board of directors, confirmed Wednesday the organization is in the process of dissolving.
But the end of the co-operative doesn’t mean community-oriented programs will disappear from the facility.
Two distinct entities
Landry and Gray Babonau, manager of the Unity Centre, both agreed there’s a perception in the community that the co-operative and the building are one and the same, as the Ville Co-op’s identity was so closely tied with the facility.
“They’re two very different things,” Landry said.
Babonau said there can be some confusion in the community about how the co-operative and the building aren’t one and the same.
“The Unity Centre is the building,” Babonau said, noting it was recently purchased by TripleEffect Inc., which aims to continue running it as a community centre. “We have numerous clients.”
It’s already found a potential new tenant to take over much of the space in which the Ville operated, he said, as the Fredericton Christian Academy is considering rental and use of Unity Centre space.
More importantly, Babonau said, the building will still be home to some of the programs the Ville has offered.
“We are probably going to end up taking them over, as far as the woodshop and pottery goes … We intend to carry on,” he said.
“Nobody’s going to be shut out … The workshops are never going to close.”
He said the Unity Centre doesn’t want to see any of the community-oriented programs come to an end, though maintaining the after-school childcare program wasn’t an option, as the building didn’t have anyone to run it.
Landry said perhaps the most challenging aspect of the process was informing parents that the after-school program was coming to an end.
“It’s still going right now,” she said, noting it cares for 23 to 27 kids each week, but Oct. 29 will be the final day.
The Ville notified parents a few weeks ago of the impending end of childcare and the co-op’s other programs, she said, as staff wanted to give them a month’s notice.
She said the staff and the board have been working to connect parents with other after-school care providers to ensure their needs are covered.
‘Drained, really emotionally drained’
Some parents were shocked to learn of ReConnect’s end, Landry said, and delivering that kind of news was tough on everyone involved - not only about the childcare program, but for all aspects of the Ville’s efforts and for its clients.
“It’s been really difficult,” she said, noting the board and the staff are feeling, “drained, really emotionally drained.”
The ReConnect staff, aware of the behind-the-scenes challenges in securing funding, was perhaps more prepared for the decision to cease operations, Landry said, but it’s still disheartening to close a chapter on such a worthwhile endeavour.
“They had a real connection with the kids,” she said, noting the ReConnect staff was so dedicated to childcare that she knows they’ll have no trouble finding new employment in the field.
Landry said another issue with the ReConnect childcare program was the ageing nature of the former school in which it was offered.
According to resources on the Government of New Brunswick website, the ReConnect Kids childcare program had undergone an inspection as recently as Oct. 4.
That inspection identifies several issues with the space in which the after-school program operated.
“The entrance from the playground to the building was in a very rough state with rotting window sills and ceiling due to the roof leaking,” the inspection report stated.
“The common areas such as hallways and stairwells had not been swept or cleaned. The garbage cans in the common areas and hallways had not been emptied, which had resulted in a fruit-fly infestation.”
It also noted air quality appeared to be a problem in the building due to poor ventilation.
Worthwhile effort
Landry said while the dissolution of the Ville is disappointing, she and others are proud of what was accomplished over the past decade.
“It’s always a positive experience,” she said.
Seeing so many people come together to benefit the community, to give of their time and skills, is encouraging, Landry said, and while the co-operative proved to be financially unsustainable in the circumstances in which it found itself, it was still a worthwhile endeavour.
“It’s always a positive experience,” she said, speaking of people volunteering for the betterment of the community.
And just because the Ville Co-operative won’t be around anymore, Landry said, that doesn’t mean the spirit it represented will disappear. That energy will emerge in other ways, in other venues, she said, given the dedication of everyone who’s been involved in the volunteer effort over the years.
Don MacPherson can be contacted at ftonindependent@gmail.com.