Burned-down community centre finally getting replaced in L'Anse au Clair

It's been nearly two years since the community hall in L'Anse au Clair, Labrador, burned down, and the town is finally about ready for a new one.

Mayor Chad Letto says the town received word last week that the province will kick in more than $1 million dollars for the new centre.

Within a year or so we would be getting close to getting back in our building.- Mayor Chad Letto

"It's been jubilant and elated," said Letto. "Everybody is really excited about the fact that we're gonna get our community centre back in short order hopefully."

L'Anse au Clair will be contributing around $720,000 — most of that money coming from insurance, making the town's contribution around $200,000.

A fire destroyed the old town hall, which contained a seniors complex, a youth centre, a gym, and council chambers and offices, in April 2016.

In the original request to the province, the town was hoping to also replace what Letto called its dilapidated fire hall.

However, under new cost-splitting arrangements for municipal buildings, the cost of paying for a new fire hall at the same time was too high, so the town's initial proposal was rejected.

Planning in 2 phases

Letto said the town will instead be moving ahead with plans to replace the community centre, and hopefully, eventually, the fire hall.

"The main building, we'll say, the community centre or the town office, the town chambers, that was one phase. And the second phase would be the fire hall."

Letto hopes to break ground on the new community centre by June or July and have exterior work wrapped up by winter, so through the colder months the interior can be completed.

"I would assume, barring nothing goes wrong, that within a year or so we would be getting close to getting back in our building."