A new community centre has opened its doors to the public in Rothesay.

The Wells Community Centre marked its official opening before the holidays.

Rothesay Mayor Nancy Grant said the space gives residents of Wells a community centre of their own.

“You can have events there, you can have educational things there, you can show movies there,” Grant said in an interview.

The 2,600-square-foot space includes community event space, a residential kitchen, public park washrooms, and a 1,150-square-foot covered canopy for outdoor gatherings.

Located within the Wells Recreation Park at 75 French Village Road, the facility complements existing features like the fenced-in dog park, multiple sports fields, playground, and an extensive network of multipurpose trails.

Grant said supply chain issues impacted the timeline of the project, and inflation led to higher-than-expected costs.

“It started as a $1 million project and ended up at about $2.5 million,” she said, noting they were able to get additional funding from the province to help cover the extra costs.

Rothesay received $500,000 through the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) and $486,000 from the New Brunswick Regional Development Corporation (RDC), according to a government news release.

From left: Rothesay MLA Ted Flemming, Rothesay Mayor Nancy Grant, Saint John-Rothesay MP Wayne Long. Image: Submitted/Town of Rothesay