The Trail Skills Centre announced this week that it will wind down its operations this fall after nearly 30 years and look at selling its downtown building. It follows many months of financial challenges for the organziation as a result of reduced government funding. We spoke with board chair Rhys Andrews.
You did a lot of work to try to prevent this outcome. What sort of efforts did you make?
First of all, we reduced our costs months ago. That included not filling positions. Then as things got more difficult, we had to lay off staff. We’ve worked very hard to increase revenue through lease and rental within the building. Our primary focus has been on identifying programming and services funding through the provincial and federal governments. That’s where our greatest shortfall has been. We just have not been able to secure the types of programming and services that we’ve been able to achieve up to 2025. That has led to the circumstances we find ourselves. We’ve advocated with our MLA. We’ve talked to program funders at federal and provincial levels and local partners, local government, keeping people abreast of the situation, including the community. Unfortunately, we still find ourselves in this situation.
You also had some outside help. What was the result of that? What did that tell you?
We undertook a feasibility study to see the various options. Those options were seeking partnerships and relationships with other not-for-profits. But they just weren’t going to be feasible within the timeframe we had and our financial situation. [Another] one of the options was to wind down and dissolve the society and move in the direction that the board has had to take.
What is that going to look like? How long will that process require?
We’re looking at possibly as early as Sept. 30. We’re now letting the community know, but we’ve been letting our partners know in the previous weeks to give them a heads up. That includes people in the building and our lender. We’ll see what those conversations look like, but right now it looks as though that date is going to be the date our operations will end.
But you still have some programs to deliver and want to figure out how to transition some of your clients elsewhere.
Absolutely. This is one of the most important parts of it. We have a plan to deliver our existing programming and services to our clients until the end of September. We’ll be able to meet all of those obligations and not make any further commitments after that. We have that in good order. However, the medium and longer term is impact to the community. with no Skills Center here. That’s the part that’s most painful, besides the immediacy of the impacts on our staff and what we’ve been involved in as a board. And we’re really concerned about that.
What is it like for you to make this decision? Your whole goal was to find ways that it wouldn’t come to this.
It’s emotional. We’ve got a small board that has worked tirelessly to not be in this position. We have an extraordinary staff that has and continues to be so courageous, doing their best under very trying circumstances. We had a dream here with this building. It’s a magnificent building and we want it to be something that continues to serve the community. But it really does hurt. The type of programming and services we delivered are for people who have multiple barriers, have real challenges to pathways to employment. We’ve supported poverty reduction in the community and we’re not sure where that’s going to land. We’ve got some ideas and we’re trying to work on that to transition the types of programming and deliveries that we’ve done over time, but I think the impacts can be felt in the community. That’s deeply upsetting to someone who volunteers in that world to make sure our community is a better place.
Some of your programs might be picked up by others, but there’s no guarantee.
Some will be, or at least some of those clients will be. The Skills Centre, although we’ve been regional and at times provincial, we’ve certainly been local. So we understand Trail and the adjacent communities in the West Kootenay and the Boundary and we know the people and the needs. I’m hoping that somehow out of this, our staff land at other organizations and bring that skill set. But it’s really unsure. To be in the place as a board chair and a board where you’re overseeing the ending of a really good organization and all of the challenges that you’re seeing that decision create, it’s agonizing.
Anything else you’d like to add?
In addition to my thank yous to our staff, our board, the community, and our stakeholders, I think there’s a bigger story about the impact. I’m learning more and more about that this isn’t just the Skills Centre. There’s a broader story about the impacts on the not-for-profit sector in British Columbia and Canada. We know very well as citizens that we’re in difficult economic times and some decisions are impacting the not-for-profit sector and people who may not have a voice or a strong enough voice to advocate. I’m hoping that story gets to be told.
