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Opinion: Bill Walton, 250 Clark

Widdifield School.  Wow – wouldn’t that make a great community hub? They already have a library, a stage, and gym area as well as a café and meeting rooms
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The Powassan Players presented their first play at their new venue – 250 Clark – the ‘Community Hub’ in Powassan. “Interruptions” a comedy, was well presented by the Players (no bias here) and the audiences seemed happy for some comic relief in the pre-election days. The stage was adapted for play presentations in the old gymnasium and we were pleasantly surprised by the acoustics. We had to adapt the stage lighting for this play but will be working with the Town for the next production – LED lights would be much cooler.

What struck me was all the activity at 250 Clark. Being a former Powassan area resident, I remember when the school was constructed at 250 Clark Street – and remember when it was closed for more modern digs. There may have been some naysayers when the Town announced its plan to turn the former school into a community hub but that dream was realized and is now a busy centre for every activity you can imagine a town and the surrounding area needs. The Library is right next door for those who prefer more literary pursuits. Coordinating all the activities and meeting rooms is no mean feat but was impressive to the Players.

At the Silver Linings event, the past Saturday held at Widdifield Secondary here in the City, I had the opportunity to speak with the Callander Library representative. Their library is looking for more room and I commented that the Hub at 250 Clark was the kind of facility that Callander could use – if they only had an old abandoned school. The rep said they had looked at the success of ‘hubs’ throughout Ontario and were hopeful that they could find the ways and means to have a similar centre in the Town on the Bay. I wished them well.

All of which got me thinking about community hubs in North Bay. Maybe we should be thinking of - say 3- smaller community hubs spaced throughout our city. Three local libraries might answer the need for expanding the central library – and using some of the schools we keep closing for a hub might be an idea. All this is going through my head while I am tending the Warriors’ booth at Widdifield School.  Wow – wouldn’t that make a great community hub? They already have a library, a stage, and gym area as well as a café and meeting rooms. Maybe if Jay Aspin can’t reopen the issue of the proposed closing of Widdifield he can promote repurposing the property to the City.

Which brings me almost full circle to the play at 250 Clark. The protagonist is obsessed with writing like Robert Penn Warren in the book ‘All the King’s Men’. I had never read any Penn Warren so I downloaded ‘All the King’s Men’ and am reading it now. I love his descriptions but, by Jove, not much has changed in politicking since the 1930s – the setting for the book. I can understand why Howard was upset when Gladys spilled some really good port over the autographed first edition of the book. Frog Flippers – you should have been there!





Bill Walton

About the Author: Bill Walton

Retired from City of North Bay in 2000. Writer, poet, columnist
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