The Blackburn Community Association started their 25th year with the distinct possibility of no 26th.
The organization was struggling to operate its aging community hall, rich in public features though it was, and the R.J. Blackburn historic homestead house situated next door.
It was also suffering from the realities of a changing social culture that have ended many community associations and not-for-profit organizations. The operators of the facility needed new blood on the board of directors and a new business plan. By last year, the need was critical or the doors might close and never reopen.
While some groups have folded under weights like these, the Blackburn neighbourhood took it as an opportunity to find itself again.
A swell of new board members stepped forward and one of the most dedicated was Jamie Kranrod. She was elected the new president of the association and the team of 12 went to work on the turnaround.
It worked, said Kranrod a year later, because the residents of the area still feel the distinctive qualities of their Prince George neighbourhood. They are within the city, only a few minutes from the downtown urban core, but they are still proudly quiet and rural.
"I live in this area, so did my dad, so did my dad's dad, and now my kids are going to Blackburn elementary school," she said.
"The problems weren't because of mismanagement, it was because too few people got stuck with too much work, there was some quick staff turnover that meant things were out of balance, and it just needed people to step forward who believe in this area. Over the years I have benefited from that community association, I know how it helps the community, and I wasn't the only concerned citizen. We have a strong team."
The first order of business was to develop a sponsorship program. A campaign was launched to draw support money from the business community connected to Blackburn and that money came through. The Hoover family led the way, and a large sign now dominates a wall inside the community hall depicting all the financial support provided.
The accounting firm of Schmitz, Anderson & Nielsen provided a financial plan to give the association's future a solid roadmap.
Kranrod works in the management team of Tyrod Industries and before that was in management with Big Brothers-Big Sisters Prince George, so she has experience in the offices of the private sector and not-for-profit agencies. What she didn't know was that Big Brothers-Big Sisters had recently approached the Blackburn association about establishing childcare opportunities at their facilities. There was no ability to take Big Brothers-Big Sisters up on that offer when the board was stumbling and staff was unstable, even though a small childcare service was already under the association's umbrella.
When the new board discovered the offer, children injected all kinds of new energy into the association's operations.
"As of September, this partnership has grown into way more opportunity for Blackburn families than we thought possible, when we first heard the idea," Kranrod said.
"There are now twice the registrants we had when we operated it ourselves, and they get to go to daycare at the R.J. Blackburn house, so that's an amazing way to connect to your local history, as a family and as a child. The house still operates as a heritage attraction on the main floor from 9 a.m. to noon, but we also have this other purpose going on there, and it can be booked for all kinds of community uses as well."
The hall was also in need of new life. A grant obtained from Northern Development Initiative Trust allowed for major renovations to be done, turning it from a derelict building on the cusp of structural failure into a hive of new and modern activity.
"It looks amazing, it has all kinds of features people want, it's fully operational, but it is not being used to its full potential," Kranrod said. "There are many things it is capable of doing, but it is not fully booked at all. It is certainly available. And we're not even 10 minutes from downtown."
The Blackburn Association announced on Tuesday that it had hired a facilities manager, so that final piece of the reclamation puzzle - stable staffing - is now complete. The Blackburn Community Association is ready to take on its next 25 years.
