By Joanne Rodgers,
Bruce Peninsula Press
NP CoWork is reopening mid-September 2021 in Lion’s Head and is partnering with The Meeting Place to offer NP CoWork in Tobermory.
Tobermory Welcomes NP CoWork
“Partnering with Peninsula Community Development Initiative on expanding NP CoWork Space at The Meeting Place Tobermory 2 days a week makes a lot of sense and opens up our space to support entrepreneurs and adult learners going into this fall and winter.
TMP has always been interested in the socio-economic life of the community. People who work at home may continue to feel isolated and coming into the CoWork Space@TMP for a few hours a week may just be what’s needed. The community is still in this very unpredictable phase of the pandemic; TMP has experience being open safely to small numbers of people and we have some practical and creative resources to make available”, says Noreen Steinacher, Chair of The Meeting Place Board of Directors.
NP CoWork will operate as a joint project of The Meeting Place in Tobermory and the Peninsula Community Development Initiative in Lion’s Head. The space will open in Tobermory at The Meeting Place on 23 September and will be operating on Thursdays and Fridays 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Lion’s Head site opens on 27 September at the Rotary Hall, operating Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
There will be safety protocols in place following Public Health recommendations for shared space. Facemasks are mandatory. Coworkers will be asked to self-screen at the door (if you’re sick or have been around anyone who has or may have symptoms of COVID-19, please stay home), sign in and provide information for potential contact tracing if needed. There will be a limit of 15 people in the co-working space at any time, with 2m distancing between individual workspaces (unless coworkers are from the same household), and workspaces will be cleaned after each coworker leaves.
Animator Trace MacKay says “What hasn’t changed is that NP CoWork will provide an open and inclusive workspace with high speed internet access and friendly (but masked) faces so you don’t have to work at home, alone.”
Amenities offered by NP CoWork
Both locations offer free wifi, fresh Ironwood coffee and coworkers, but differ in some amenities. NP CoWork at the Rotary Hall has a balcony for private work space and a stage with a professional sound system for meetings and events. NP CoWork at The Meeting Place offers a board room and private office for booking, art/photography printing, and use of the community gym. NP CoWork members will have access to both spaces and everyone can benefit from collaborative programming offered in both communities.
The space is managed by a rotating schedule of volunteer “animators”. They welcome visitors to the cowork space, track visits and hours, keep the coffee hot and fresh, help out with printing materials, ensure workers are connected to the wi-fi and able to access the services offered.
Free for Students;
Pay-what-you-can for others
Both locations will operate on a pay-what-you-can policy. A more formal membership structure will be introduced in the winter. High School, College and University students who are completing their courses on-line and who may wish to get out of their homes or require social interaction are invited to use the NP CoWork space free of charge.
NP CoWork started as a pilot project in 2018
NP CoWork started as a community-led, volunteer-run pilot project in November 2018 at the Rotary Hall in Lion’s Head. The NP CoWork aimed to provide a welcoming space for residents and visitors to support rural remote-working, combat social isolation, promote community belonging, offer opportunities to collaborate on community projects, share knowledge and skills and promote social and economic opportunities.
The NP CoWork in Lion’s Head quickly became a place for work related meetings and projects; business connections; webinars; people seeking help with their computers and other digital devices; art and craft groups; Korean language lessons, game nights and promoted start ups of new groups such as the Peninsula Investment Club (PIC) and other community initiatives.
The Municipality, by motion of Council, agreed to allow NP CoWork to continue to operate the coworking project in the Fall of 2019 for another year to two years at the Rotary Hall in Lion’s Head. In November 2019, NP CoWork launched its second year with more hours and more opportunities for growth. Unfortunately, NP CoWork had to close in March 2020 due to the onset of the pandemic.
Peninsula Community Development Initiative (PCDI) launched in 2020
Peninsula Community Development Initiative (PCDI) was launched as a not-for-profit community development organization in 2020 with a mission to support local initiatives for a vibrant community. PCDI will be overseeing the management of NP CoWork in Lion’s Head and aims to support other local groups and organizations on the Northern Bruce Peninsula in accessing grants and supporting good governance and operational management practices.
Grand Opening of NP CoWork
NP CoWork invites the community to join them for the Grand Opening of NP CoWork Tobermory on September 24, 2021, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. and the Grand Re-Opening of NP CoWork Lion’s Head on September 27, 2021, 10 a.m. – 4.p.m.
If you have any questions or would like more information, visit the NP CoWork website: https://www.npcowork.com or email info@meetingplacetobermory.com or info@npcowork.com
