Because it’s much more than just a building.
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Friends of the Mindemoya Old School (FOMOS)’ mission is to renovate, retrofit and repurpose this historical building as an accessible senior centre and year-round hub for artists and artisans.
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On the main level, local artists and artisans will create, display and sell their work in a centrally-located hub in downtown Mindemoya. It will boost the incomes of the local artistic community, especially women and Indigenous artists; fill a void in support for older adults; boost tourism, adding to the economic activity on Manitoulin Island; help to address the climate crisis by showcasing green technologies; and provide ongoing jobs in maintenance and programming. Revenue from rents in the artists’ hub will largely sustain the operations.
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FOMOS has identified the need for facilities and programs to create an Age-Friendly Community, and to that end, we are planning and will establish a Senior centre. It will be inclusive, equitable, holistic, and integrated into the bigger picture of community programs over the long term. The senior centre will support the elderly in living independently allowing them to age in place in their own community. It will provide a common area to socialize and create a sense of belonging, combating isolation; and to engage in games, fitness and wellness activities. The nearest seniors’ centre is 45 kilometres away. The project will not only provide jobs in the construction phase, but it will also benefit the community.
About FOMOS
For our organization FOMOS, the Mindemoya Old School is much more than just another building to be torn down. We’ve become such a throwaway society, we often overlook the cultural significance of historical sites.
The Mindemoya school was one of Ontario’s very first consolidated schools and played a pivotal role in developing the very fabric of what we all love about Manitoulin Island.
FOMOS is on a mission to reinvent and celebrate this historical building and it's community for its second 100 years moving forward.
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This building was built in 1922 and the brick laid was meant to stand the test of time. Its life as a school may be over but there are now endless possibilities for this strongly constructed, beautiful old building.We hope you will help us in preserving this special part of Central Manitoulin’s history!
