.jpg){kind=small}
In the summer of 2013, a group of poverty reduction advocates took a leap of faith and bought a former convent. This was no ordinary building.
Haunted by ghosts, it contained 132,500 square feet of space built between 1869 and 1969. It had sat empty for four long years, floors bursting in the freezing cold and bats lying dead in sinks and hallways.
Over the next six years, several miracles – and a lot of hard work -- would unfold to bring new life to this building. The community rallied to bring the volunteer power, money, faith and resources to turn it into a vibrant place that served as a set for the Murdoch Mysteries TV series and Indian Horse movie.
A decade later, The Mount Community Centre hosts 68 apartments, lush gardens, a refurbished commercial-scale kitchen and hope for the people who live there. It changed their lives and those of the people who committed to its success.
So, why did we do it?
For those who don't know, I was one of those early believers who saw the potential in this remarkable structure. Recently, an interviewer asked why we stayed committed to the mission despite financial pressures and countless sleepless nights.
Finally, he pushed me to see the true motivation: going home and lying awake in a comfortable bed in a safe home still made me so much more fortunate than others.
As a person who has delivered food donations to hungry families, I've seen the worst in 'affordable' housing:
Smells and sounds emanating through thin walls of a rooming house
Holes in the floor
Black mould on the walls
Sheets of plastic stapled up to block out the drafts
Dark spaces with no windows
Scary alleys where women wouldn't feel safe
Landlords walking in on young women unannounced
Instead, our group wanted to offer people light, dignity and hope. That's why we kept pushing to push others to see our vision, donate to the cause and help us build it.
And then we did.
Miracle on Monaghan Road
Ten years after buying this building we could not afford, we have published a book that takes readers from the motivation to residents moving in. We survived floods, break-ins and multiple setbacks.
The book serves to inspire others to believe so they too can create this type of housing. We share countless tips of where to find the money, who you need at the table and what strategies keep you on target.
If you'd like to buy a copy, they will be available at The Mount Community Centre, 1545 Monaghan Road, Peterborough, or at Steve Kylie's law office at Aylmer and Dalhousie streets. You can prepay $40 via an e-transfer to finance@themountpeterborough.ca or bring cash or a cheque (made out to The Mount) with you.
You can also purchase an e-book version of Miracle on Monaghan Road via Amazon for $9.99. Every dollar from the book sales will help subsidize the rents and other operations to keep housing here affordable.
Thank you for your interest. If you are seeking to publish your own book, I work with authors on their own journeys. Like this little miracle, it can happen for you as well.
Comments