Daycare evicted from ex-school site

The only tenant at the former St. Patrick's-Alexandra school site has 22 days to move out before a developer takes over.

St. Joseph's Children's Centre said it received the news on Monday through the Halifax Regional Municipality.

Belinda Bignell-Leck, the centre's executive director, held back tears as she described what happened to a group of regional councillors Monday night.

She knew the centre would have to move eventually once the Maitland Street site was sold, but she wasn't prepared to do it so soon.

"We actually got word that we were going to be there for two years. We took that as a Christmas bonus — wonderful, no problem," she said.

When the centre was told to be out by the end of the month, Bignell-Leck was shocked.

"I absolutely was more than devastated," she said. "Where does the support staff go? Where does the kitchen go? What do we do with our families and our staff?"

But Richard Butts, the chief administrative officer for the Halifax Regional Municipality, said the eviction notice was not sudden.

"We bent over backwards to try to accommodate St. Joseph's," he told CBC News.

"They were aware that time was running out."

Butts said St. Joseph's Children's Centre was originally ordered to vacate the school in March 2011. The city extended the lease at St. Patrick's-Alexandra three times.

"We've tried to find every single way to accommodate their need to run their business but also look for another one. We've done, virtually, our level best to support them and their community and there's really limited we can do," he said.

The centre cares for 20 children and feeds more than 350 others from its kitchen. It's the only tenant at the former school, which was closed last year.

Several community groups wanted to take over the building, but regional council opted to sell the site to Jono Developments Ltd. to erect a condominium and commercial complex.

A number of groups are trying to convince council to reverse its decision.

"Right now I'm working in panic mode," said Bignell-Leck.

"Certainly I feel that the community is certainly losing out, not only just us but the community itself and what it is that we provide."

Joe Metlege, the president of Jono Developments Ltd., told CBC News it was regional council's decision and there was nothing he could do.

Council has agreed to discuss the eviction of St. Joseph's at its meeting on Tuesday.