As the Habitat 53° chapter of Habitat for Humanity prepares to wrap up its shopping year at the organization’s ReStore, the fate of the store for next year is unclear.
The ReStore operates out of a building at the Armoury site off Highway 10 that was purchased last week by North of 53 Consumers Co-operative.
The Co-op is at the feasibility study stage for building a new store on the site and plans to demolish the building used by the ReStore as early as spring 2016.
Habitat 53° chairman Ted Elliott said it was business as usual for the ReStore until the end of September. After that, the organization will spend the winter looking at options and alternatives.
While Habitat has been looking for a location to move to, “we haven’t found anything that is suitable yet,” Elliott said.
The organization had investigated moving to the former Elks Hall on Green St.
Elliott confirmed that the move was not feasible and was no longer being discussed as an option.
“We’ll continue looking over the winter and see what we can find,” he said.
Habitat 53° will continue its work regardless of the fate of the ReStore, Elliott said.
“The Restore was sort of a bonus. It was an opportunity that we thought would assist us in financing a house, which it did, greatly.”
An “extremely good” season at the ReStore helped contribute toward the completion of Habitat 53°’s first home on Steventon Blvd. Donations of building supplies, furniture, appliances and other gently used or unwanted items were sold to help fund the building of the home.
“Physically we’ll be finished with the house by the end of next week, and then it’s just a matter of landscaping and all the final inspections and the paperwork for the turnover,” said Elliott.
The ReStore will operate for three more weekends this year, with closing day set for Saturday, Sep. 26.
Store manager Kathy McCormick agreed it has been a good year.
“We’ve had a lot of new people through our store this year, which continued to help us raise the money needed to help build our first Habitat home in Flin Flon.”
She said opening four days a week, instead of just Friday and Saturday, helped boost fundraising. She also pointed to more awareness about the store as a factor.
“In appreciation for the support from here and all surrounding communities, we are going to have a big closing for the season,” said McCormick. She said the ReStore will have a make-a-reasonable-offer sale for the next three weeks.
The ReStore It is open Wednesday through Friday from 1 to 4 pm, and Saturday from 10 am to 3 pm.
