Library donates six figures to community centre

Tache Library and Chase the Ace Lorette donated over $400,000 to the new Tache Community Centre.

The donation comes as shovels are set to touch grass in the fall, with the building being complete as soon as 2025.

The centre includes a library, which the Tache Library is set to move into, leaving the high school.

The library made up $100,000 of the donation with the other $308,500 from Chase the Ace.

Yvonne Romaniuk, treasurer for the Tache Library said having a building not shared with the high school is important for the community.

“We’ve been saving for at least 16 years for this, and we all put money aside for one day having our own building,” Romaniuk said. “It helps to get the project going.”

Chase the Ace has been running for seven years and set up its profit account for the community centre.

Chase the Ace is run by volunteers, ticket profits get divided up into different categories. Ten percent is a consolation for whoever wins, as long as they don’t draw the ace. Forty percent goes to the jackpot for whenever the ace is picked. One percent goes to supplies and lottery permits, and the last 49 percent goes to the fundraising account, which was used for the community centre.

Romaniuk said they are expecting to return in the fall once a week, back at the Lorette Bar. Proceeds will be going to the Tache Community Centre again, this time to cover the debts accumulated with the build.

The library raised its money through book sales, and small events hosted from time to time, eventually accumulating $100,000.

Romaniuk said once the library moves into their new home, they will have more operating expenses, including rent, cleaning and furniture, which was taken care of by the high school. All the books and shelves will be making the move as well, leaving Lorette Collegiate to buy books for a new library.