Nova ScotiaA community centre operated by the River Hebert, Joggins and Area Development Association is pinching pennies while trying to operate the building that boasts a public library branch, food pantry, community lounge, gymnasium and fitness centre.Group that runs centre for River Hebert and Joggins area says expenses are outpacing revenue Luke Ettinger · CBC News · Posted: Nov 07, 2025 5:00 AM EST | Last Updated: 4 hours agoListen to this articleEstimated 4 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by text-to-speech, a technology based on artificial intelligence.The River Hebert, Joggins and Area Community Centre opened in 2022. It was previously the home of the Brookside Curling Club. (Luke Ettinger/CBC)A community centre that serves the River Hebert and Joggins area in northern Nova Scotia is struggling to keep its doors open in the face of rising costs and a reduction in funding from the municipality.The River Hebert, Joggins and Area Community Centre has operated since 2022, boasting a public library branch, food pantry, community lounge, gymnasium and fitness centre. It also has a backup generator and acts as a comfort centre during power outages.But the organization that runs the centre in the former Brookside Curling Club building in River Hebert is now pinching pennies while grappling with a worrisome financial picture it expects to worsen with higher bills during the winter. The River Hebert, Joggins and Area Development Association received an annual operating grant of about $43,000 from the Municipality of Cumberland for this fiscal year. It received $54,000 the previous year and had asked for an increase to keep up with costs.“At this point, we know we’re not going to make it until, like, next summer when we would hopefully get money again from the county,” says Kathryn Richards, the association’s treasurer.“It’s stressful not being able to provide that, knowing that we’re not open on a regular basis and not knowing where our next cheque is coming from.” Richards was the only staff member at the centre until the development association cut the part-time position earlier this year. She continues to volunteer but the centre is now open only sporadically after previously operating from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week.Alex Poplar, chair of the association, said the decrease in funding from the municipality puts the centre and the services it houses in jeopardy. “We’ve seen empty cupboards. We’ve seen people who had to pick between eating and paying the power bill. And that’s why that is so important to our area, and that’s why receiving less funds for it has been so hard on our area.”Municipality of Cumberland Mayor Rod Gilroy said demand for grants last year was more than $1.6 million, but there was just over $913,000 allocated to community groups.”Hardly anybody got what they asked for.”But Gilroy reaffirmed his support for the community centre and said the municipality is in discussion with the River Hebert Village Commission about an area rate to support it.”I’m not in a spot where I am at all prepared to let this thing go upside down on our watch,” the mayor said.Richards, who continues to apply for grants, said many are for major projects rather than day-to-day expenses. For example, the association was successful in securing more than $80,000 from the province for installation of an HVAC system this year. She said the group also accepts private donations, sells advertising space in the gymnasium, charges for fitness centre memberships and hosts fundraisers. But she said it can be challenging in an area where many families have limited disposable income.The average household income in the River Hebert and Joggins area is around $60,000, according to Statistics Canada data. The average for all of Nova Scotia is close to $88,000. Poplar said that is all the more reason the community centre is needed in a place where some don’t have internet or even power at home. “We have done everything we can to make this facility serve the community,” he said.MORE TOP STORIESABOUT THE AUTHORLuke Ettinger is a reporter with CBC Nova Scotia based in Truro. Reach him at luke.ettinger@cbc.ca.
Cumberland County community centre facing financial stress
