Let's Talk Antigonish sits down with Stephanie Cooper to unpack the buzz around the proposed Antigonish Recreation Centre! In this revealing conversation, Stephanie shares:
· How the idea was born from frustration over limited camp registrations
· How the People for an Antigonish Rec Centre was formed and what their goal is. Link to their Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/people/People-for-an-Antigonish-Rec-Centre/61563481593124/
· The vision for a multi-purpose community hub
· Why they are currently seeking $50,000 from town and county for a needs assessment
· What the difference is between a needs assessment and a feasibility study and why it matters
· Dreams of a facility that could include everything from sports facilities to arts spaces, childcare solutions, and even emergency shelter capabilities
· The challenges of moving forward amid tight budgets and competing priorities
· Stephanie's personal dream? A Rainforest Cafe-inspired space with hydroponic walls, rock climbing, and lush tropical plants!
Want to get involved? Visit the "People for an Antigonish Rec Center" Facebook page.
Subscribe at www.letstalkantigonish.ca or wherever you get your podcasts!
Here's the podcast episode distilled into a newspaper article format:
Small-Town Ambition: The Push for a Community Recreation Centre in Antigonish
ANTIGONISH, Nova Scotia — A grassroots movement is quietly gaining momentum to address what some locals see as a critical infrastructure gap in our community: the absence of a comprehensive community recreation space(s).
The initiative, dubbed People for an Antigonish Rec Center, was spearheaded by Stephanie Cooper and fellow volunteer Adam Baden-Clay, with 10-15 fellow community members. It began in March 2023 when Cooper encountered a familiar small-town frustration—children's camp registrations filling up within seconds.
"I just thought to myself, I wonder what the plan is post-COVID for recreation and camps and programming," Cooper explained during a recent appearance on the local podcast "Let's Talk Antigonish." This seemingly simple question has since evolved into a two-year campaign involving a core group of volunteers determined to expand recreational opportunities.
What distinguishes this effort is its methodical approach. Rather than pushing forward with a predetermined vision, the group has recalibrated its initial strategy of seeking funding for a full feasibility study. They now are seeking resources for a more fundamental needs assessment—a $75,000 undertaking for which they're requesting $25,000 each from town and county governments, with plans to secure the remainder through grants and in-kind support.
"We want to see a space that meets the needs of the majority of our diverse community members," Cooper emphasized. "Whatever we potentially build or create in the future needs to be fiscally responsible, environmentally sustainable, and accessible to all users."
The needs assessment would evaluate existing facilities, including the town's hockey rink, tennis courts, and community centers, examining their usage patterns, accessibility, maintenance requirements, and long-term operational plans.
Cooper's vision for the project extends beyond traditional recreation. She says, they envision a facility that could double as an emergency shelter during disasters like Hurricane Fiona, which devastated parts of Atlantic Canada in 2022. The center could potentially address and integrate other community needs, including childcare—an acute issue in the region where some waitlists are reportedly closed to new names.
When pressed about her dream scenario, Cooper described an ambitious concept featuring "a lazy river with a rock climbing wall in the middle," complemented by living walls, hydroponic systems, and food production capabilities.
The group faces significant challenges. With competing priorities for limited public funds, the recreation center initiative must demonstrate compelling value to gain support from the community as well as Antigonish Town and County.
"We believe that roads and water and sewer are all very important elements," Cooper acknowledged, "but we also believe that the community aspect is equally important."
The initiative reflects broader trends in rural community development, where quality-of-life amenities increasingly factor into economic sustainability and wellbeing. Cooper pointed out that such facilities could help Antigonish attract and retain healthcare professionals—a critical concern in a region facing physician shortages.
"A lot of these physicians are coming to our community with young families," she noted. "They need childcare. They need space to grow their family."
For now, the group continues its advocacy through social media and community engagement, urging residents to encourage their local representatives to support the needs assessment.
Whether this rural community ultimately realizes Cooper's tropical-inspired vision or a more modest facility remains uncertain at the moment but the enthusiasm is contagious. What's clear is that this volunteer-led initiative represents a significant investment in the town's future social infrastructure—an effort to create what Cooper calls "the living room of the community" where connections can flourish even during the harsh Nova Scotia winters outside.
Share this post