Ground will break this summer for the Nakusp and Area Youth Society (NAYS)'s new home, thanks at large to a donated portable, some strong sets of arms, and $5,000 in fundraising from the local Home Hardware.
And, based on proposed renderings for the project, the iconic green door the village lost nearly 20 years ago may even be rebuilt.
NAYS is returning to its roots, planning a new youth centre for the same lot where the Green Door building burned down in 2006. That building housed a previous youth centre, and its signature green door was crafted by local contractor and former Nakusp mayor Stan Fellows in 1960.
A decade after the fire, NAYS moved into the basement of the village-rented Kinship Connection Centre in 2015. Now, another 10 years later, NAYS board chair Carlee Hughes shared with Black Press Media that construction for the next youth centre is going forward in 2025, majorly with the help of community generosity.
NAYS also received a leg up from the Resident Directed (ReDi) Grant program that financed an environmental assessment for the lot, which became necessary when it was noted a gas station had occupied the lot until 1969. That warranted expensive and time-consuming remediation, Hughes noted.
"It's been a challenge," she said, though happily adding that now there's just "one beam that needs to be replaced" on the lot before her team can move ahead to next steps.
NAYS's board has hosted a mascarade ball, bottle drive and silent auction in its fundraising run, on top of reeling in $5,041 from a single-day flash fundraiser organized by staff at Nakusp's Home Hardware and Home Building Centre. The fundraiser honoured the late Larry Ferguson, landing on the first anniversary of his passing to offer 24 per cent storewide discounts all day and match purchases up to $2,400 each.
"For a group our size to raise that much money takes a tremendous amount of effort," Hughes said.
Additionally, NAYS is getting $50,000 per year for three years from the Vancouver Foundation. Hughes applauds Skye Cunningham of Cabin Resource Management and the Arrow Lakes Caribou Society for securing this funding for NAYS to get the project rolling.
The greatest tangible contribution, however, has perhaps been the portable that School District 10 formerly used for its StrongStart program and is donating to house the new youth centre. An avid group of men assembled to perform the grand task of hauling the portable to the lot and, according to Hughes, had an absolute blast.
"It was really, really inspiring just seeing these men come together to move the portable and just having the best time, too," she recounted.
Hughes' husband Joseph, who volunteers with NAYS and owns contractor and home builder Kootenay Prime Construction, is even chiming in with project planning, application assistance and professional oversight.
NAYS is also actively seeking a volunteer architect or certified professional to help plan public spaces in the youth centre and ensure the project complies with all building requirements.
"If there are any architects that are interested in donating their time, we would love to hear from them," Hughes said.
Anyone eligible and interested in helping out can email Joseph Hughes at keepbc@live.com.
