The advisory board met on May 16th and amongst a number of things that were discussed, we talked about the proposed rental of our space for a "Before and After School Program".

This past year we were approached by "Where We Grow Early Learning Centre Inc." about renting our church hall area for a Before and After School program.  There is much that goes into considering such a rental and I want to commend the wardens, particularly Occo Van Tijn, for the work they’ve put into this process.

The proposed licence agreement is for rental of St. John’s Hall, including the kitchen as needed, the nursery downstairs and the use of the washrooms.  They will be using the space during the school year from 6:30 am - 9 am and 3 pm - 6 pm each school day, all day on PA days and some holidays.  During the summer months they will be using the space throughout the week all day.  The children in attendance will be primarily between 6 & 11 years old.

The license agreement is dictated by Diocesan legal standards and is currently waiting to be reviewed by the Risk and Governance Committee for the Diocese this month.  If it receives approval there, we will move ahead.  Here are some of the questions that have been asked - and the answers!

How much rent will they be paying, and what does that include?

The agreed upon rent is $1500 per month, for a total of $18,000 per year.  This includes use of the designated space and utilities.  They are responsible for paying the following: insurance (as required by both the Diocese and the Government of Ontario), any repairs or extra cleaning, upgrades to infrastructure needed for their own approvals (through the Ministry of Education and Health).

Why does the corporation think this is a good idea?

We know that we need to increase the rental usage of our building to support our budget.  The majority of churches cannot support their budgets otherwise (unless they have large endowments - we do not).  That said, we do not enter into rental opportunities unless we believe it is a good community partnership - for the group renting and for ourselves.

Providing before and after school care is a dearly needed resource in our community.  There are local people currently on waiting lists for these spots.  We are helping our community provide care that is needed.

Families with children will be coming and going regularly from our building and this gives us a chance to get to know our neighbours, and for them to get to know us.  We have no idea how the Spirit of God will use that interaction or the possibilities that may arise from it - but we know opportunities will arise.

What about our other renters - will they be put out of the space?

We’ve spoken with all the other renters - particularly Yoga and Theatre on the Ridge.  They use the space at different times.

What if we need the hall for something at a time it is in use?

Like our other renters, “Where We Grow” understands that there will be times when we need the space ourselves.  When that is the case, they will do their best to accommodate us and share the space.  They are eager to be as flexible as they can and we need them to be.

Other things to make note of:

  • We are allowed to move through the space when they are there.  If someone needed to go to the kitchen or the bathroom, they would be free to do so.  The children are always supervised by an employee.
  • The lease is a yearly agreement.