In the year 2000, the new Bayview School opened in town, leaving the then 86-year-old Mahone Bay School redundant. A group of visionary citizens saw an exciting future for the empty, unwanted structure. In 2001 the Mahone Bay Centre Society was formed and took possession of the old school for the price of $1.
The task of turning this sadly neglected 33,000 sq. ft. facility into a secure, comfortable, efficient and serviceable community centre has been monumental: as of 2018, involving over $800,000 of government grants and citizen donations plus many tens of thousands of hours of volunteer labour. Today, the Mahone Bay Centre is the “poster child” of how to rally a community to develop a vibrant community centre.
It is the responsibility of the Mahone Bay Centre Board to spend all monies raised in a way that is not only aligned with our governing policies and legal obligations, but also in a way that honours the hard work done by previous members of the board, as well as representing the Centre in the best light, fitting with the amazing community we service, and respecting the donations given by our patrons as they give up their hard earned cash.