Because of the deteriorating condition of 257 Queen Street, what was once a hub of services for English-speakers will soon have to close its doors. The community organizations currently sharing space in the building have been advised by the Eastern Townships School Board (ETSB), owner of the property, to begin the search for new accommodations. “We don’t have funding to repair the building,” said ETSB Chairman Mike Murray. “It needs significant reinvestment to be restored to an adequate state,” he said, adding that regular maintenance of the building is a significant expense for the board. “The tenants have been made aware of the dilemma and have been told to look for alternatives.” Murray said that the board hasn’t adopted a formal resolution yet regarding the future of the building, but will likely do so in one of its upcoming meetings. While happy to provide space at a reasonable rate for what has become a one-stop shop for resources and services for English Townshippers, Murray said the condition of the building has reached a point where the board is thinking of disposing of the property in the long-term. Townshippers’ Association President Gerald Cutting said the Marguerite Knapp building would be a hard act to follow, but was optimistic about finding new quarters. See full story in the Friday, April 6th edition of The Record.
The end of an era at Marguerite Knapp building: Tenants begin the search for new accommodations
