Thanks in part to the generosity of the community, the First Nanaimo Scout group will see a new roof for its scout hut.
Scout group treasurer and parent Stacy Desjardines said the group’s Comox Road hut is a heritage building that has been around since 1927 and the roof was last replaced after a fire in 1977. The work needs to be done, as there is leakage, and the porch is starting to fall into disrepair because of the leakage.
Donations from the Mid Island Co-op community foundation and the Rotary Club of Nanaimo North, as well as money raised from numerous bottle drives, will pay for the cost of supplies, according to Desjardines.
The original plan called for replacement of both roof and porch but that became too expensive.
The porch replacement will be a project for another day but the porch will still be demolished due to safety concerns when roof replacement takes place the weekend of Oct. 18.
Volunteers from the scout group will be on hand assisting. SL Roofing from Cranbook, B.C. will be doing the work but isn’t charging for labour.
“We have to take down the whole roof and because half of our roof is plywood and half of it is shiplap. We have to re-plywood the whole entire roof and then go on to putting the shingles on,” Desjardines said.
The scout group is responsible for its own finances and building.
It had another financial concern last week when it lost the use of hot water in the building, as the hot water tank was shut down.
“Mount Benson Mechanical has come in and (it is) donating a new hot water tank, so that’s a great thing to mention because they know how much we struggle to raise funds,” she said.
The First Nanaimo Scout group has been raising money for the new roof for about two years.