The Madawaska Valley Food Bank will not be moving to the new location in Combermere.
Terry Newcombe with the food bank says the issue was a structural one. Between the heavy racks of canned goods, plus the weight of the fridges and freezers, the building they were looking at would have needed extra work to make it structurally stable. With the financial strain on the township, Newcombe says that it was too expensive to make the building suitable for a food bank.
Newcombe is appealing to the community for help in finding a new building so that Madawaska Valley has a proper food bank. The current drive-through method has its issues, such as increased workload, working in the cold, and the lack of choice for clients. Newcombe says that there is no plan currently for places to house the food bank, and is hoping for someone to come through with a new location.