HADLEYVILLE — One week to the day thieves broke into the new Seven Communities Volunteer Fire Department’s new comfort centre and community building, chief Doug Halfpenny was enjoying a renewed sense of purpose, thanks to the outpouring of support he and his members had received from people up and down the shore.
“We had 143 people pop in today to check out the new building,” he told The Journal about the grand opening Oct. 19 of the 2,000-square-foot, purpose-built addition to the fire department’s old hall. “There were lots of great comments about the new facility. [Guysborough-Tracadie MLA] Greg Morrow paid us a visit and commented.”
Located in Hadleyville on Route 344, fundraising for the new centre began more than 18 months ago with an initial $200,000 community grant from the Municipality of the District of Guysborough (MODG). Since then, Halfpenny said, community donations have been crucial, as have the volunteers who have spent time on the project.
“Yes, there was a grant... but people actually donated... volunteers spent time on the project, yeah, absolutely. As for the official opening, everybody just wanted to come in and say ‘hi’ and see the place and show support.”
It was a promising end to a week that seemed to be heading in the wrong direction.
On Oct. 12, Halfpenny and another department member arrived at the new comfort centre to discover the break-in. “We went up... and we noticed the side door open and ajar, and the plexiglass in the kitchen window had been removed. We walked in, and the place was a mess. We didn’t know if they were still in the building, so we called the RCMP.”
According to a release from the Guysborough County District RCMP on Oct. 15, the incident occurred overnight. “Items taken include backup fuel and donated items, and there was damage to the outside of the building,” it stated, “though no essential firefighting tools or equipment were stolen.”
Sgt. Natasha Ferrell said in a news release, “Any property crime is disappointing for the people impacted. This situation is particularly disheartening because it impacts the community as a whole.”
In a Facebook post, volunteers seconded that emotion.
“We’re heartbroken and angry to share that someone broke into our brand new community fire hall over this Thanksgiving weekend, and stole several items from inside,” they wrote. “This building isn’t just walls and equipment, it was built by volunteers, donations, and countless hours of community effort. Every door hung, every wall painted, every dollar raised came from people who care about keeping this area safe. To whoever did this, you didn’t just break into a building, you disrespected an entire community that shows up day and night to protect others. We want to remind everyone that our fire hall belongs to all of us.”
The investigation, Halfpenny said, continues. Despite the “hard, hard week” leading up up to the grand opening, however, the community rallying has been a welcome tonic.
“It’s phenomenal,” he said. “There’s been people just showing up wanting to help... We got people from way up the road, and people from down the road.”
That carried over to Sunday’s grand event. “There were four neighbouring fire departments who attended [including] the fire department in Mulgrave, which presented us with a plaque with the Fireman’s Prayer on it.
A reminder, perhaps, of what a place like this means to the big picture of a small community.
Said Halfpenny: “We will hang it proudly on our wall.”
