A place that used to represent Law and Order in Belleville will soon be home to dozens of local families.
Following a moving ceremony, demolition began for the Habitat for Humanity project at the site of the former Belleville Police Headquarters on Dundas Street East.
When it’s done, it will be the largest-ever single-phase Habitat project in Canadian history, with 66 units receiving local families in June of 2028.
As I attended the ceremony, I thought of the delays it had faced while reaching this phase, which is appropriate (in a way) when you consider the building’s history and previous tenants.
Shortly after I moved to Belleville in the early 1990’s, the push began to move Belleville Police into a new building. Deputy Chief Sheri Meeks herself was told when she was hired (around that same time) that it would be happening “in a couple of years or so”.
More than two decades later, Belleville Police moved to their new location at College and Sidney, paving the way for this new project.
The point is that some things are definitely worth the wait. The new Habitat Village will be a shining example of what can be accomplished when a project has the City’s full support and many people also work tirelessly behind the scenes. It will make a real dent in the social housing market for struggling families and breathe new life into that entire area.
The place that people used to call HQ will soon have a new name for dozens of local families…home. That will be a magic moment well worth waiting for after three years, or in a way, 30.
I’m Paul Martin and that’s what I see looking Beyond the Headlines.
