WESTVILLE ROAD – The Pictou County Wellness Centre is still operating with a deficit, but it’s getting smaller.
Each year Pictou County municipalities (with the exception of the town of Westville) cover the operating deficit of the Pictou County Wellness Centre to keep it in the black.
According to information released Monday, Sept. 23 at the Pictou County Wellness Centre AGM, the municipal contributions went down by $162,000 this past year. The municipalities paid $820,000 in contributions for the fiscal year ending March 2019. The previous year they had to contribute $982,000. The worst year was the fiscal year ending in 2016, when the municipal units had to contributed around $1.1 million to cover the deficit.
Trenton Mayor Shannon MacInnis said there are two factors for the improved finances. One was ending the contract with Nustadia and having local management the facility and the second was being selective about which events are hosted at the facility. For instance while there was less revenue from events in the fiscal year ending in 2019, there was much lower expenses.
“We are pleased with the results from 2019 and very excited about the direction the Wellness Centre is headed,” MacInnis said. “Operations have improved, our financial situation is healthy, we hired our new (Chief Operating Officer) Greg Smith and the team at the Wellness Centre is focused on taking the Pictou County Wellness Centre to the next level.”
Smith said they are hoping to reduce the operating expenses even more this coming year. If they are able to stay on track with what they’ve spent so far this year, he anticipates ending the next fiscal year with a deficit around $698,000.
Municipality of Pictou County Warden Robert Parker said he hopes staff can find ways to further decrease the operating expenses, but said it was good to see things trending in the right direction.
Smith said the staff are looking forward to hosting the Pinty’s Grand Slam event in November and said it will offer an opportunity to showcase the full capabilities of the facility.
At the meeting, MacInnis was reelected as board chair and New Glasgow Mayor Nancy Dicks as vice chair.
