About

The Mahone Bay Centre, located in the town's old heritage school, is home to a thriving arts and cultural community on the south shore of Nova Scotia. It offers artists' studios, educational events, fitness, dance, meditation, as well as other programs and services to the people who live in, work in and visit the area.

Our Vision it to support and enhance the quality of life, and contribute to the economic and social well-being of Mahone Bay and neighbouring communities.

Our Mission is to develop the Mahone Bay Centre for the benefit of the greater Mahone Bay community for culture, recreation, life-long learning and community development. We maintain and manage the former Mahone Bay School building to fulfill our mission.

Our Goals are to support the above mission by:

• being a democratic and open volunteer organization
• offering a place for groups, individuals of all ages and organizations to reach their own goals
• supporting the initiation of programs, services and resources
• fostering the development of programs, services and resources for youth
• being a meeting place open to the whole community

For almost 100 years this building housed the school of Mahone Bay. In 2000, the new Bayview School opened and a group of visionary citizens saw an exciting future for the old, unwanted structure.

The Mahone Bay Centre Society was formed, and a mission was articulated to establish a non-profit, self-supporting, vibrant community centre. One that would be a gathering place reflecting the diverse interests of people throughout Lunenburg County. Some rooms of which would be rented on a permanent basis to pay for operating costs. Some rooms would be reserved for occasional users from the community. And some space would be available at no charge for special needs. Stimulating programs would be developed in response to the physical, mental, and spiritual needs of the community.

In just a few years, the original vision is coming to fruition.

• From having no money to start with in 2001, the Centre society has grown to a $100,000 budget.
  
• From a handful of visionary workers in 2001, it has grown to include about 258 members.
  
• From a structurally sound, but decaying and un-insulated building, we have, through a series of modest fundraisers, been able to repair and paint much of the interior space, replace 1/2 of the roof, insulate the attic, upgrade the heating system, install programmable thermostats and exterior improvements.
  
• From an empty building in 2001, we now house permanent tenants, as well as several dozen organizations, artisans, and businesses as occasional users every month.

Scores of volunteers, devoting thousands of hours of labor and creative energy, worth over $100,000, have been instrumental in achieving this growth.

People from all corners of Lunenburg County come to participate in a wide variety of activities held at the Centre. What they find is the Old School Market, fitness centres, classes in the visual arts, dance, yoga, gymnastics, soccer, ball hockey, basketball, parties, movies, theatre, lectures, seminars, religious meetings, club meetings, youth and senior activities, music, festivals, antique shows, training sessions, Chamber of Commerce Scarecrow and Father Christmas activities, receptions, a new food bank, family assistance and social service agencies, a Coast Guard summer station, Lunenburg Municipality recreational and personal growth opportunities, an Alternative School, and more.

It is an important question. Our answers provide the reasons we are expending our resources of money, time, creativity, and labour to provide a “building at the heart of the community”. We have been involved in ten years of transforming a decayed and discarded school

building into a welcoming gathering place for “community” to happen. The universal motivations and principles for “community” address the core of what it means to be human, and why we are here.

1. WE ARE ALL ONE. 

 We are all interconnected and interdependent with each other and with all of nature. “No man is an island.”  “As above, so below.” Everything we think and do affects everything and everyone at some level.

2. WE ARE MOST ALIVE WHEN WE EXPERIENCE COMMUNITY.

From a simple “hello” to the deep sharings of the heart, we long to know and to be known. Many experiences  and relationships facilitate such opportunities, e.g., playing, learning, creating, working, problem solving, sharing, dreaming, becoming, helping, laughing, talking.

3. LOCALLY, we are using the opportunity to integrate these universal realities. We are incorporating the historical town/school community into the emerging community unfolding at our Mahone Bay Centre.

 As our efforts to improve the building facility continue, we are seeing the development of an inviting place for a host of diverse activities and programs as tenants, organizations, and individuals come together. Our lives are significantly enriched and enhanced through these opportunities.

Paul Seltzer, Chair

Board of Directors

Mahone Bay Centre

June  20, 2010