Town of Essex buys former Harrow High School
"I’ve been doing a happy dance now for the last couple days,” says Town of Essex councilor, Sherry Bondy.
After sitting vacant for five years, the former Harrow high school may once again play a role in the community.
"The town of Essex council in our community, we are the proud owners of the Harrow high school building and all the beautiful green space that surrounds it," says Bondy.
The town of Essex has purchased the property from the Greater Essex County District School Board.
"Now we have a chance. We have a once in a lifetime chance for the community of Harrow, Colchester, the municipality of Essex and I know service groups are going to pitch in. It’s going to take a lot of elbow grease, but together we’ve come this far and together we can go farther," says Bondy.
There are no approved project plans at this time, but councilor Sherry Bondy is hopeful her six-point plan will transform the former school into a community hub.
"We need more recreational space, more potential office space and more space we can lease out to service groups and private enterprises," says Bondy.
"We have a huge interest in possibly renting, leasing space within this building if that can come to fruition," says Karen Dasilva, registered early childcare educator, Harrow Daycare.
Harrow Daycare says they are running out of space, but given the building’s close proximity, it’s a perfect fit for their latchkey before and after school program.
"We are full. We are at capacity. We have a waitlist in our program of a year. That’s never happened before. We’ve had waitlist before but turning down people that call and looking for care actually breaks our heart," says Dasilva.
Bondy says the building will need some work. The town has set aside sixty thousand dollars in its budget to hire a consultant to study the building's condition.
"Hopefully council passes that and we can look at the structure and the to-do list for the building. I believe the bricks and mortar are really solid. There have been few leaks in the roof and the gym floor needs some repairs. Having said that, there have been a lot of interest in the community and a lot of it that can make us money," says Bondy.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Pedestrian, baby injured after stroller struck and dragged by vehicle in Squamish, B.C.
Police say a baby and a pedestrian suffered non-life-threatening injuries after a vehicle struck a baby stroller and dragged it for two blocks before stopping in Squamish, B.C.
Senate expenses climbed to $7.2 million in 2023, up nearly 30%
Senators in Canada claimed $7.2 million in expenses in 2023, a nearly 30 per cent increase over the previous year.
Demonstrators kicked out of Ontario legislature for disruption after failed keffiyeh vote
A group of demonstrators were kicked out of the legislature after a second NDP motion calling for unanimous consent to reverse a ban on the keffiyeh failed to pass.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
RCMP uncovers alleged plot by 2 Montreal men to illegally sell drones, equipment to Libya
The RCMP says it has uncovered a plot by two men in Montreal to sell Chinese drones and military equipment to Libya illegally.
Government agrees to US$138.7M settlement over FBI's botching of Larry Nassar assault allegations
The U.S. Justice Department announced a US$138.7 million settlement Tuesday with more than 100 people who accused the FBI of grossly mishandling allegations of sexual assault against Larry Nassar in 2015 and 2016, a critical time gap that allowed the sports doctor to continue to prey on victims before his arrest.
Man wanted in connection with deadly shooting in Toronto tops list of most wanted fugitives in Canada
A 35-year-old man wanted in connection with the murder of Toronto resident 29-year-old Sharmar Powell-Flowers nine months ago has topped the list of the BOLO program’s 25 most wanted fugitives across Canada, police announced Tuesday.
Doctors ask Liberal government to reconsider capital gains tax change
The Canadian Medical Association is asking the federal government to reconsider its proposed changes to capital gains taxation, arguing it will affect doctors' retirement savings.
Pro-Palestinian protests roiling U.S. colleges escalate with arrests, new encampments and closures
The student protests of Israel's war with Hamas that have been creating friction at U.S. universities escalated Tuesday as new encampments sprouted and some colleges encouraged students to stay home and learn online, after dozens of arrests across the country.