South Frontenac Township commits $750,000 towards Grace Centre upgrade

Jeff Green | Dec 01, 2021

Everyone at the South Frontenac Council table expressed support for a proposal to build onto the Grace Centre in Sydenham, in order to allow the local food bank and administrative staff at Southern Frontenac Community Services (SFCS) to stop working in aging former portable classrooms.

But, even a month after first learning about the project, and the request that the township commit to $750,000 to kickstart a capital fundraising campaign towards an anticipated construction date late next year, some council members were still dealing with some 'sticker shock'.

A staff report, outlining three options for Council, pegged potential commitments at three dollar amounts: Option A - $250,000, Option B - $500,000, and Option C, $750,000. Based on the discussion at council in late October, the source for any funding that Council decided to commit would be the working reserve fund that the township has accumulated. The only potential impact on taxation will be the need to replenish those reserve funds in the future.

Councillor Ron Sleeth said he has been surprised by the number of people who have approached him in Storrington District, which he represents, saying how much they appreciate the services for seniors that South Frontenac Community Services provides.

“As far as A,B, or C, I'm somewhere in the middle,” he said.

Councillor Norm Roberts said he was “comfortable with something around $375,000.”

Deputy Mayor Alan Revill said he was “biased towards matching funding, providing a dollar for every dollar raised from the public, up to a set limit.

Councillors Sutherland, Morey and Ruttan all spoke in favour of a straight $750,000 commitment, with the protections proposed by township staff, which would provide the township with leverage to step in if anything happens to Southern Frontenac Community Services and ensure that the Grace Centre remains a township asset.

Mayor Vandewal said that he also had a case of 'sticker shock’, but has come to realise that “without the full commitment from the township, SFCS will have trouble raising the money they need to make the project a reality.”

“We do not need to worry about matching funds because we know that the project will end up costing more than the $1.5 million in the original budget. I think we need to put up the $750,000 or the project will not happen,” he added.

Indeed, in the staff report accompanying the support motion that council was considering, Chief Administrative Officer Neil Carbone wrote that “the total project cost was initially estimated to be $1.5 million, but SFCSC has updated that number to $1.85 million, through discussions with their design consultant, and given current market factors .”

When the matter came to a vote, Council unanimously supported a $750,000 commitment to the project.

In a subsequent media release, the Township said that SFCS is a “key agency in the community, as they have a rural focus, are locally managed and provide direct, quantifiable benefits to a growing demographic.

“As an area that is poised for significant growth over the next 15 years, it is anticipated that the number of people living in South Frontenac aged 55-74 will increase 21% by 2036, while the 75+ population will grow by 137%. In response to these projections, and the substantial increase in program uptake experienced over the last year, SFCSC has identified a need to expand their facility in order to position the organisation to deliver sustainable community support services for many years to come.”

“We share the same driven focus as the township, which is our commitment to support the needs and wellbeing of the residents of the community we serve,” says Greg Fisher, Chair for Southern Frontenac Community Services. “Our entire organisation is incredibly grateful to the township for being the cornerstone of our Capital Campaign and positioning us to achieve success.”

Ever since SFCS consolidated its operations in the former Grace United Church, 10 years ago this month, the space has provided benefits to the agency in terms of programming space and public profile, but in terms of both office space, and a facility to run the Southern Frontenac Food Bank, there have been deficiencies.

Portables were brought in as a temporary solution, but they were never intended to be in place for as long as they have been.

David Townsend is the Executive Director of SFCS. He is preparing to retire next year and is focusing on external activities for the agency, at this time, as Heather Rogers has taken over responsibility for the day to day operations at SFCS.

He has been working on facility related issues during his entire tenure at the agency.

“Aside from making this upgrade possible, it is heartening that the township has taken this step. It marks a new stage in its commitment to partnering with us to support seniors in South Frontenac and rural Kingston,” he said last week.

The upgrade to the Grace Centre will make a difference for agency staff and people who make use of the food bank, but it falls well short of the agency's original plan, which was to build a stand-alone office to house all of its administrative needs and create a social services hub for South Frontenac at the large Grace Centre property.

SFCS has not been able to secure provincial funding for that project.

“That was disappointing for sure,” Townsend said, “and it made it clear to us that in order to provide services to seniors in our community in the future, we were going to have to work with other groups in South Frontenac to make it happen. Without the township coming on board like this, we would not be able to get this project off the ground.

With other monies that have been committed, including $100,000 directly from its own volunteer board of directors, SFCS has about $1.1 million available for the project, and intends to bring that total to at least $1.5 million though further fundraising.

“The next phase of fundraising for the Grace Centre expansion will launch in the new year, which will remain separate from our operations and service delivery campaign that takes place at this time each year, to assist in supporting our everyday services,” said SFCS board chair Greg Fisher.