The renovation of a former gas station into a new home for the Southern Kings and Queens Food Bank will better serve the needs of the community says Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal, Ron MacKinley.
“The valuable service the food bank provides to area residents will be vastly improved by moving to this new location,” said Minister MacKinley. “I want to commend Belfast-Murray River MLA Charlie McGeoghegan for his hard work on this particular file. This project shows the Province of Prince Edward Island is committed to the development and enhancement of key services within rural communities across the province.”
The food bank is currently located in the basement of the Church of Christ in Montague. Once renovations are complete, it will move to the former Wilson’s Gas Bar building in Lower Montague.
The Prince Edward Island Lending Agency provided the land and the building to make the relocation of the Southern Kings and Queens Food Bank possible. The Department of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal is providing assistance with renovations to the building at an approximate total cost of $65,000.
The new food bank will provide triple the space of the current location, it will allow all work to transpire on one level, and it will provide ample parking for unloading food and supplies. The new food bank is expected to open later this fall.
“I would like to thank the Province of Prince Edward Island for their generosity in making this relocation possible,” said Belfast-Murray River MLA Charlie McGeoghegan. “Government’s commitment to work with groups such as the Southern Kings and Queens Food Bank furthers the development of rural communities across Prince Edward Island.”