Although we’ve been in Fernwood for over 35 years, many of our neighbours haven’t heard about all the things we do in the neighbourhood. For this year’s Annual Report, we’ve got a map of all of our activities, as well as a few highlights by program from 2015.

Altogether, Fernwood NRG’s ­activities span a few blocks in ­Fernwood and represent ­approximately $4 million of ­neighbourhood investment (see our 2015 financial ­statements at http://fernwoodnrg­.ca/financial-­statements-2015/). We are lucky to have the generous support of the City of Victoria to operate the Fernwood ­Community Centre at 1240 Gladstone. We have been ­managing the Community Centre since it was built in 1980. The signs on the ­building are ­original: it was built as a ­community centre and child care ­facility. We currently offer 75 licensed child care spaces.

In 2000, we built the large portable building behind the community centre, and since 2004 it has been in use as a licensed child care facility for 20 children under three years old.

In 2005, we purchased the ­Cornerstone Building—it was boarded up at the time. We celebrated the 10 year anniversary of neighbourhood ownership of this building in 2015. We received nearly $400,000 in grants to create four ­affordable housing units for families upstairs. We also operate the ­Cornerstone Café and Studio 1313 Hair Design on the ground floor through our subsidiary ­company, ­Fernwood NRG Holdings.

In 2008, we purchased two vacant lots on Yukon Street and built Park Place—a sixplex of affordable family housing.

We took over the stewardship of Spring Ridge Common in 2010—it has not been entirely without its challenges, but we’ve done our best to be responsive to issues and concerns from neighbours. In 2015, with support from the City, we’ve hired a new coordinator to lead the maintenance in 2016.

We added two new properties in 2013, with our purchase of 2009 Fernwood Road and 1310 Gladstone Avenue. We have an active redevelopment proposal to create a new mixed use building for Fernwood at 1310 Gladstone.

It may seem like a lot, but there’s lots more—come and walk the block with us…