EIGHT-YEAR-OLD PROJECT

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27132, 31 August 1953, Page 12

EIGHT-YEAR-OLD PROJECT

COMMUNITY CENTRE AT LEESTON

OFFICIAL OPENING BY MR J. K. MCALPINE

The official opening of a community centre at Leeston on Saturday afternoon saw the completion of a project that had its beginning more than eight years ago. The original intention was to provide a women’s restroom and a clinic for the Plunket nurse, and about £lOOO was raised in the district by voluntary effort for those purposes. Difficulties arising from the war, however, in particular that of securing a building permit, delayed the proposal for a long period. Eventually it was decided to aim at the erection of a building to include the rest and Plunket -rooms, a library, offices for the Town Board, and a large room for meetings and functions of various kinds. Of reinforced concrete construction, the new building, erected on a corner section, is unusual in design, a feature being the large area of window space to provide the maximum amount of natural light. The building has a flat roof, the portion over the centre, where the large meeting room is situated, being higher than the rest to provide for more windows. In addition to the community centre, a new fire station has been built in brick. Speaking at the opening function, at which he presided, Mr V. G. Mason, chairman of the Town Board, referred to the long delays in securing Government approval of the plans and a Government subsidy. He acknowledged the help given by Mr J. K. McAlpine M.P., but for which, he said, it would have been imposs ; 'jle to proceed with the building. Mr Mason also spoke of *the patience shown by the Plunket Society in -waiting so long to have rooms of its own. and thanked the architect (Mr W. Melville Cawry) for providing a brass plaque to commemorate the opening, and the builder (Mr F. C. Cole) for two clocks, and other gifts. The Ellesmere County Council had given £4OO toward the cost of the building and £lB5 for furnishings, the Plunket Society had contributed £5O for furnishings in its portion and the public had provided a further amount of £250 for furnishings. Of the total cost of about £ 10.000 for the building, the Government had given a subsidy of £4700. Before the building was opened, Mr McAlpine unveiled a tablet, set in the wall near the main entrance, recording the names of three men from the district who were killed in the recent war. They were Harper M. Bougard. Desmond C. Jones, and Lyall A. McMillan. A prayer was offered by the Rev. H. Benny.

One of the problems of today, brought about by legislative action in recent years, said Mr McAlpine, was the proper use of leisure, in partigular by the younger generation. Community centres and facilities of a like nature should do much to promote the cultural life of the community and to make life in the rural areas more attractive.

Mr McAlpine handed a key to Mrs Mason, wife of the Town Board chairman, with which she unlocked the door, and he then declared the building open.

Other speakers were Mrs W. Mawson (Plunket Society) and Messrs A. Anderson (chairman of the Ellesmere County Council). S. Bongard (library committee), H. Queree (former Town Board clerk), W. M. La wry (architect), and F. C. Cole (builder). Afterwards Mr McAlpine declared open the new fire station, erected on another part of the same section, after the door had been unlocked by the Fire Brigade superintendent. Mr K. Jones.