Tatamagouche Centre faces uncertain future due to financial struggles

Tatamagouche Centre in Tatamagouche, N.S., pauses programming indefinitely amid financial losses, aging infrastructure, and declining donations, prompting discussions on its future

Tatamagouche Centre Considers Future After Programming Pause

A conference and events centre in Tatamagouche, N.S., is considering its future after pausing programming indefinitely late last year due to financial constraints.

Online Conversations Planned

The Tatamagouche Centre plans to host a series of online conversations this month with participants of its programming to discuss the facility’s future.

Facility History and Financial Issues

The 15-acre property was known as the Atlantic Christian Training Centre during most of its 75-year history. The facility offers overnight accommodations, meeting spaces, and a kitchen.

At a meeting on Tuesday night, board members reported that the centre has lost between $30,000 and $60,000 per year in recent years.

Challenges Faced by the Centre

The issues include a shrinking donor base, lower program attendance, and a smaller contribution from the United Church of Canada. Rising costs to heat and maintain aging buildings have also contributed to the depletion of the centre’s financial reserves.

“Just on low boil, the centre’s cost is about $140,000 a year. Just, you know, that’s without anybody in it,” said board member Karen Fish in an interview.

Fish, who volunteered up to 25 hours a week, stated that board members are fatigued.

Staffing and Building Concerns

“We’ve gone through three executive directors in five years, and that’s a board responsibility. We had staff conflicts. And there was just a lot of work falling on the board,” said Fish.

A full-time executive director position, which is currently vacant, costs the society about $60,000 a year.

The property has seven buildings, including Stewart Hall, which would cost an estimated $1.5 million to retrofit or $2.5 million to replace, according to the board. The 70-year-old building also houses a commercial kitchen that is closed due to the need for a new range hood, estimated to cost more than $80,000.

Condition of Guest Accommodations

A building with five units for guests has black mould, mildew, and rot. An 1840s-era home on the site has a sinking foundation.

Events Hosted by the Centre

The centre hosted 186 events with 3,450 guests in 2025. Among these were peace and friendship gatherings that provided a space for Indigenous and non-Indigenous people to connect.

“The peace and friendship gathering was a way to heal the Mi’kmaq with the denominations [with whom] most of the relationships were broken,” said Cathy Martin, co-chair of Women of First Light, a group that facilitates land-based learning for Indigenous women and youth.

Memorandum of Understanding

In June, a historic memorandum of understanding was signed between the United Church of Canada, Tatamagouche Centre, and Women of First Light. This land-back initiative is referred to by the groups as the rematriation.

“It would be… transferred to us in a trust so that nothing can happen to that land without the Women of First Lights [in] agreement,” said Martin.

“We want to save the land for the next seven generations at least. And we want it to be a type of place where our young children and our elders can come and remember the land, how to live on the land.”

Future of the Buildings

Martin expressed that the group loves the buildings, but it is not currently financially feasible for Women of First Light to take on the repairs.

“Whether they’re going to tear down some buildings or to take them all down, whatever they’re going to decide impacts us. But when we’re mostly interested in the land,” she said.