Unless they get further bad news, a wedding scheduled for Saturday night at the Current River Community Centre will go on as scheduled.
Centre officials weren’t confident it would when they arrived to work on Thursday morning to find shattered glass from three windows littering the sidewalks and grass surrounding the 22-year-old facility, the contents of a fire extinguisher coating nearly everything in sight on the inside.
It’s also feared a commercial refrigerator, valued in the neighbourhood of $10,000, will also have to be replaced, after the centre was hit by vandals in Thursday's early hours.
It was a devastating discovery, hall president Arlene Halversen said, as cleaning crews busily mopped and wiped and swept behind her.
“It’s very discouraging. We’re very disappointed (and hope) that whoever did this, maybe they can realize what was an act of fun for them is certainly a sad moment for us, because it’s going to cost of a lot of money,” Halversen said.
“We had to cancel programs. We had a very busy weekend and most of that is now cancelled. However we are doing a wedding Saturday and we hope with the insurance people we can be up and running for that event.”
A monthly youth dance scheduled for Friday night, will not go on as planned, which will disappoint hundreds of children, she said.
“We actually turn kids away from that dance,” she said, adding a pancake breakfast slated for Sunday morning is still up in the air.
Hall manager Pat Baker, who has been with the community centre since it opened in 1990, said she can’t understand the senseless act of vandalism at a place that does so much good for the Current River neighbourhood.
“We put a lot of time and effort into this hall, and for this to happen, that’s what hurts,” Baker said.
It’s not the first time the centre’s been hit, though Halversen said it’s usually minor incidents, like spray paint on the outside walls.
However, earlier this year vandals did saw the legs off the community centre’s new $3,000 wooden entrance sign, which is now housed in the facility’s garage waiting to be reinstalled.
Coun. Andrew Foulds said the impact will be felt from one end of Current River to the other -- and beyond.
"I think these types of events are very sad. It angers me not only as the councillor for Current River but more importantly as a member of the Current River community. This particular incident has caused tens of thousands of dollars in damage, but more profoundly has significantly impacted the community," Foulds said, reached via email.
"The community centre is a vibrant place which hosts all kinds of activities for everyone from the very young to the very old."
The Thunder Bay Police Service is now investigating the incident.
In a news release issued Thursday, police say Apex Security guards discovered the broken windows at the recreation centre at about 2:20 a.m.
When officers arrived on scene they did not locate anyone inside the building.
Police now estimate the value of the damages total about $3,000.
Anyone with information about this incident is now being asked to contact the Thunder Bay Police Service at 684-1200 or Crime Stoppers at 623-8477.
