A sad event is unfolding here in Victoria and we need the help/advice of the VibrantVictoria community. On August 2, 2016 the national Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada announced that they will be
· selling the MS Centre at 1004 North Park, a place that many of us call home;
· discontinuing the MS Physiotherapy and gym program, the only one of its kind in Canada; and
· disbursing programs and services to other unknown locations or online.
The MS Society of Canada has not provided any information on where people with MS in Victoria and the surrounding area can go to participate in the many wellness programs delivered through the MS Centre. There has been no information to confirm these programs will exist once the building has been sold.
What makes this decision even more galling is that the building was originally owned by the local MS Society and when the local group merged with the national organization in 2001 it was sold to them for $2.00. Now the national organization intends to sell the building for $3,100,000, take this money out of the community, and eliminate/reduce our services.
http://calistings.cushmanwakefield.com/desktop_propertydetails.aspx?TransID=463023
Our options before us are:
1. try and stop the sale; or at least delay it; or
2. find an angel investor to buy the building for our use
We are working on the first option and hope to be successful, but we have a back up plan in the event that we are not.
We have registered a new non profit organization called the “MS Wellness Centre of Vancouver Island”. We propose to retain the physiotherapy program and continue to offer all of the wellness programs that are currently being offered in the building. We believe we can run the building better than it is currently being run, through cooperation with other like minded organizations and optimizing the space through rentals. As a last resort we are hoping an angel investor will buy the building and allow it to be come a wellness for a variety of disabled people in Victoria.
But we do need your help. If you have any suggestions or advice you can give us as to how to proceed we would appreciate it. In particular we are looking for legal advice as well as public relations assistance; to try to reach the board members in Toronto to let them know that this decision will have a huge negative impact on a very vulnerable group of greater Victoria residents. Please go to our website if you are willing to help: saveourmscentre.ca