1Password Park in the city’s north end has one thing in common with the proposed animal services centre to be located near the Doug Tarry Sports Complex.
Both have benefitted financially because of the generosity of Sara Teare. In November of 2018, Sara and her husband David contributed $500,000 to gain the naming rights to 1Password Park, their company that creates password management software used by millions of customers around the world.
And now, in a letter to city council, Sara advises she will donate $1 million to help kickoff fundraising efforts for the animal services centre that will include a dog park, education centre and overflow parking for the sports complex.
At Tuesday’s meeting, city council is being asked to authorize staff to initiate a request for proposal for architectural services for the new centre.
And, an animal services centre fundraising initiative is to be created for the facility that will replace the existing shelter on Burwell Road.
In a letter to city council Sara noted, “I know that there has been a capital amount approved in previous years to go toward that construction (of the animal centre), however, there is a fundraising aspect that needs to be kicked off to help ensure that this facility becomes a community hub, fulfilling many needs at once.”
She continued, the existing shelter “is a small building with limited functionality, in an industrial space that is anything but calming for the animals arriving, wondering where their families have gone.”
Sara recalled in 2002, she and David visited the shelter and adopted a dog named Daisy, a member of their family for 16 years.
She stresses the new animal services centre should be more than a shelter.
“I believe that the role of Animal Services is not only to provide a space for lost and surrendered animals to find shelter, but also to enhance the community by being a resource that can be used by all.”
The centre – expected to cost $2.5 million – was included in the city’s Strategic Plan in 2020, with a completion date by the end of 2023.
Written by Ian McCallum
