Port Joli hall meeting planned

“I’m not in anyway against what the association is trying to do,” stated Linda MacAdams. “I think that it’s great we have community members who are taking up the initiative and wanting to preserve the history and all that.”

MacAdams works full time in Fredericton, New Brunswick but is originally from Queens County and owns land in Port Joli.

MacAdams is concerned about the building’s condition, since the association has lapsed for 10 years in the Joint Stock Registry.

She asked council, “Does this not raise red flags to you as council, giving a group a derelict building and property to manage?”

MacAdams also questioned whether 15 Port Joli Community Association members “who are mainly related” could represent an entire community.

Mayor John Leefe said, “There is some division in opinion within the Port Joli community respecting the disposition of the former Port Joli school.”

The Port Joli Community Association Treasurer, Danielle Robertson said no record of the deed could be found when the association acquired the hall property in 1961. Therefore, they requested a Quit Claim deed from the Region of Queens for record purposes.

After 10 years of inactivity, “in September the association was rejuvenated and has lots of ambitious plans to restore the hall” back to its historical look, said Robertson.

They plan to use the downstairs as a general meeting area.

Robertson hopes they will restore the upstairs as a small community museum.

MacAdams said, however, “What we would like to see is the municipality to still maintain some type of ownership over it for the protection of the community.”

A motion was moved and seconded that the Region of Queens provides a Quit Claim deed to the Port Joli Community Association, explained the mayor.

“That said, however, it does seem appropriate and in the public interest that the Port Joli community should have an opportunity to have a public meeting.”

The debate on the motion was adjourned until after the 7 p.m. Feb. 11 public meeting in the small meeting room at the West Queens Recreation Centre.

MacAdams said, “I hope that the association is successful in maintaining and being able to provide this building; however, in the event that they’re not, as a property owner and a community member I don’t want to see that property become dilapidated and just be an eye sore we have to look at everyday.”

Robertson added the association plans to go ahead with the restoration.

It has already operated 47 years without the deed.