Two St. Andrews non-profits seek support from municipality

By Nathalie Sturgeon, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Courier

Two St. Andrews-based organizations are seeking the support of the municipal council through its grant program. 

The Charlotte County Archives (CCA) and Sunbury Shores both made presentations to the council in early December. Anna Krentz, the CCA’s full-time archivist, said the archives want to begin digitizing the exhibits they hold, including records relating to the operation of the town. 

“As you know, we are located in the jail in St. Andrews, a place which can be an obstacle for those with mobility issues,” she told the council. “Our hours are limited and our staff time is tight.”

She explained that physical records must be handled carefully, and when they are, preservation can become compromised. 

“Easy access is a major benefit to community residents who are especially affected by the past choices of the archival records document,” Krentz said. “For these reasons, digitization and online access are priorities to government archives around the country.” 

She said the archives are getting the digitization program up and running. It has the up-to-date technology and tools needed to undertake that work. 

“We are a non-profit with no regular funding from any level of government relying almost entirely on year-by-year grants and donations from individuals,” she said. 

Krentz said the archives are seeking $4,025 from the town, mainly to support the labour required to bring the archival documents online. 

“We would love to make digitization and online access to the Town of St. Andrews records a priority but that is only possible with your help,” she said. 

Coun. Annette Harland asked Krentz whether supporting the archives through financial assistance was available in other parts of Charlotte County. 

“Whether you have considered looking at records for Eastern Charlotte or St. Stephen,” Harland said. 

Krentz explained that they would like to expand the archives, but it must not take on more than it can handle at the moment. 

Sunbury Shores executive director Sarah Brinkhurst also presented to the council – outlining that it is not just an art gallery, but also educational space for artisans and the public. 

“We’re more than just an organization that asks for money and donations, we are actually a vibrant part of the economic community,” she said. 

Brinkhurst said that since the gallery opened in 1964 at its current location on Water Street, the building has evolved over time to meet the changing needs of its users. 

It has built up programming for seniors, high-school student, and the youth centre. 

It receives about $17,000 from the provincial government, meaning it must make up roughly $60,000 per year to keep the doors open. 

“We’re busy doing that,” she said. 

Brinkhurst said that because of the rapid expansion of programming, space has become a bit of an issue. 

“We’re very limited in our space, we have our building and that is it, and we had a number of times where we have had clashes with a number of things, like double booked, or we’ve had to say no to something because we’ve already got something going on,” she said. 

Brinkhurst said the back patio of the building presents a good opportunity for additional space and that they have found a Canadian company that could build a retractable roof with appropriate drainage. 

Another organization has provided $25,000, leaving the gallery about $9,000 short of what is needed to purchase and install the roof. She said Sunbury Shores is asking for $5,000 from the town. 

“We’re hoping the town will look favourably (on the request),” she said. 

The council is not expected to make a decision on the grant requests until the new year.