{"id":18914,"date":"2020-12-23T00:30:41","date_gmt":"2020-12-23T04:30:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thelaker.ca\/?p=18914"},"modified":"2020-12-23T00:30:41","modified_gmt":"2020-12-23T04:30:41","slug":"funding-announced-for-new-ccoa-facility","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/?p=18914","title":{"rendered":"Funding announced for new CCOA facility"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>[adrotate banner=&#8221;78&#8243;]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>ENFIELD:<\/strong> An impassioned message from Jessie Stewart was all that those at Corridor Community Options for Adults (CCOA) needed to hear to understand what a new state-of-the-art facility will mean to clients like her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Stewart was one of the speakers at a joint press conference on Dec. 22 involving the federal and municipal governments, held at what used to be the former Enfield District School until 2002.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While attendance was limited at the event, many watched via Zoom and the livestream on The Weekly Press Facebook page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cA lot of people need to go some where and we have no room for them,\u201d said Stewart, a program member at CCOA. \u201cWe need a new building for all the people with learning disabilities to show their talent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe need a bigger building to have a bigger kitchen for cooking. We need a bigger wood room for wood. We need a bigger building for the day program for those that got to the day program.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>[adrotate banner=&#8221;96&#8243;]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Use-1-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-18915\" width=\"957\" height=\"637\"\/><figcaption>Kody Blois said he woke up excited knowing the news he was to announce at CCOA on Dec. 22. (Healey photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>CCOA, which provides programs for those with intellectual disabilities, is at maximum capacity with a waiting list an arms length or more long of people wishing to get their sons or daughters into their programs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Stewart said that\u2019s another reason a new building is needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cParents have a problem getting their young adults to come here because we have no room for them, so that\u2019s why we need a new building,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And like Santa Claus, Kings-Hants MP Kody Blois, and Municipality of East Hants Warden Eleanor Roulston, delivered an early Christmas gift to CCOA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"embed-twitter\"><blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">CCOA in <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/EnfieldNS?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#EnfieldNS<\/a> receives federal support n <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/EastHantsNS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@EastHantsNS<\/a> support for a new facility. Breaking ground early 2021 open hoping 2022. I livestream it on the Weekly Press. Story later <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/EastHants?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#EastHants<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/9TJjRrsRRI\">pic.twitter.com\/9TJjRrsRRI<\/a><\/p>&mdash; The Laker News &#8211; Pat Healey \ud83c\udde8\ud83c\udde6 (@ReprtrPatHealey) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ReprtrPatHealey\/status\/1341406312589111297?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">December 22, 2020<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/div>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Blois announced the feds were supporting the project to the tune of $2.6 million. The municipality is contributing $200,000, while CCOA will fundraise $2.2 million. The province had announced funding of $1.5 million for the project in February.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI woke up with a big smile on my face because any time you walk into CCOA you can\u2019t help but get a smile put on your face because of the good work that happens here,\u201d said Blois.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>[adrotate group=&#8221;2&#8243;]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignright size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/use-6-683x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-18920\" width=\"417\" height=\"625\"\/><figcaption>CCOA Manager Ross Young told media that the funding for a new facility means everything. (Healey photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>He spoke of the work that the clients do, including making the washer toss boxes that were part of East Hants Tide Fest\u2019s Guinness World Record breaking for largest washer toss tournament held.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s a proud day to be here to support an organization like CCOA.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The project consists of building a new, more accessible space to provide increased quality programming for individuals considered to be living with an intellectual disability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Once complete, residents of all abilities will be able to develop their skills, access a variety of programs, and services, and research employment opportunities in a larger, more modern, and state of the art facility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ross Young, CCOA manager, said the funding will allow them to begin planning for a spring\/summer 2021 construction on 5.5 acres of land in the business park. They hope to be open in their new digs by early 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhen this building was first occupied, I think the thought was we would never run out of room,\u201d said Young. \u201cOf course, we ran out of room pretty quickly.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>[adrotate group=&#8221;6&#8243;]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Young said CCOA currently provides programming for 44 young adults, however as the community of East Hants grows so does the demand. The new facility will allow CCOA to accommodate 125 people but would also mean more staff would be hired.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Eleanor Roulston, Warden for East Hants, said many residents fondly remember the building as their elementary school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThis building has been well-loved over the years,\u201d said Roulston. \u201cResidents who use to go to school here come back today to the thrift store; visit the caf\u00e9; or pick up a washer toss box.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cCCOA supports a group of people in our community that deserves the best we have to offer. The work done here changes lives.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Use-7-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-18921\" width=\"976\" height=\"643\"\/><figcaption>MEH Warden Eleanor Roulston announced $200,000 for the project. (Healey photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>[adrotate group=&#8221;7&#8243;]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Gerrard Garden, Chairman of the Board, Corridor Community Options for Adults, said this is a major step towards a new facility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThis is an exciting day,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s a major step forward in our goal of building a new, state of the art, accessible facility that will provide a wide variety of programs and supports for people in the community for years to come.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Roulston said everyone recognizes that to continue growing and serving the community a new facility is needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s time to build a home that does this organization justice,\u201d said Roulston.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Use-2-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-18916\" width=\"791\" height=\"523\"\/><figcaption>Kings-Hants MP Kody Blois speaks about CCOA and how one cannot leave its Enfield facility without a smile on their face. (Healey photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>[adrotate banner=&#8221;24&#8243;]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>[adrotate banner=&#8221;84&#8243;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[adrotate banner=&#8221;78&#8243;] ENFIELD: An impassioned message from Jessie Stewart was all that those at Corridor Community Options for Adults (CCOA) needed to hear to understand what a new state-of-the-art facility will mean to clients like her. Stewart was one of the speakers at a joint press conference on Dec. 22 involving the federal and municipal [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":18918,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[965,12],"tags":[972,196,1281,1101],"class_list":["post-18914","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-east-hants","category-featured","tag-corridor-community-options-for-adults","tag-east-hants","tag-kody-blois","tag-municipality-of-east-hants"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18914","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=18914"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18914\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=18914"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=18914"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=18914"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}