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‘Last kick at the can’ for Reuse-It Centre

The Reuse-It Centre will close its doors in September unless another non-profit group steps up to take over its operations.

The Reuse-It Centre will close its doors in September unless another non-profit group steps up to take over its operations.

Janet Cooper, the town’s environmental stewardship coordinator and the driving force behind the creation of the centre, reported to council July 15 that, despite repeated efforts, the thrift shop isn’t succeeding.

“We’re making 50 per cent of our operating costs right now,” she said. “We hoped that donations would increase, revenue would increase, but now we look at our stats from the past year and it’s been very consistent.”

Cooper expected those increases after the centre relocated to the Anglican Church basement from the Stan Wright Industrial Park last year. But even with the new location, which is near the successful United Church Thrift Shop, as well as a change in operating hours to match the thrift shop’s, the centre’s bottom line hasn’t improved.

In spite of that, Cooper hasn’t completely given up on the idea of recycling old furniture and household items by collecting donations and selling them at a discounted price. So, as a last kick at the can, she proposed one last idea to the Anglican Church.

“I went to the church and asked ‘would you be interested in some kind of partnership where another non-profit would actually operate it solely on volunteers and you would take a smaller rent?’”

The church vestry agreed to Cooper’s proposal on the basis of a six month trial.

“The church supports the Reuse-It Centre,” said Rev. Julio Cesar Martin. “We are all for it.

“I see no reason not to go ahead with this, as long as it’s a responsible organization.”

So, with the church’s blessing, Cooper and the Jasper Environmental Stewardship Board are on the look out for a non-profit group that has enough volunteers to make the centre a viable fundraising effort.

“I’ve worked out a plan where the non-profit could actually make $5,000 over the year, the church would take a lower rent, but still pull in $10,000 to $11,000.

“If I can’t find a group willing to do it [the centre] will probably close in September,” said Cooper.

Currently the centre is run by the Jasper Environmental Stewardship Society. That society was created solely for the purpose of operating the centre, which was created in 2012. At that time, the intention was for the centre to be run by a full-time manager, as well as a group of volunteers. The hope was, after a few years, it would make a profit that could be turned around into grants for stewardship projects in the town and park.

Those grants were to be administered by the Jasper Environmental Stewardship Board.

But, to date, the centre hasn’t turned a profit, and instead has been relying on subsidies from the municipality to stay afloat.

During the 2014 budget process, Cooper requested an additional $10,000 in the environmental stewardship budget—which is funded jointly by the municipality and Parks Canada—to keep the centre’s doors open, in an attempt to give it time to turn things around.

But, during the July 15 council meeting, Cooper reported that she won’t be spending that money.

“I haven’t moved it over and I won’t,” she said of the hard-fought funds. “So, it’s not costing the municipality any money this year.

“We’ll see if this new idea moves forward—it’s the last kick at the can to keep it going.”

Nicole Veerman
[email protected]

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