REGINA -- The Buddhist Centre of Regina is struggling to get by since the buildings boiler broke down.
The building has been without heat for nearly two weeks, and the Reverend has been trying to keep the building warm, but the drop in temperatures has had an impact on the heritage status location.
"In the middle of winter it breaks down it cannot be repaired,” Dr. Krishnasamy Govender, vice president and executive director of the Buddhist centre, said. “We don’t have any money at all because we only live by donations day-to-day, and they're hopefully trying to find a furnace to put into that unit so it can be functional but when? We don’t know."
Reverend Uttam Barua is in the process of getting estimates for a new boiler and was shocked to hear the price would be around $45,000.
“When I hear that I almost cry because I know the situation of the centre,” Barua said. “This Buddhist centre is surviving from people's good heartedness and donations.”
The building was built in 1927, and used to house the Albert Library. In June 2018 the Buddhist centre purchased it.
The staff says that since the building has heritage status, they believe the City of Regina will pay for half the new boiler.
Barua says he cannot rest until the heat can be restored. He is in the process of creating a GoFundMe page and thinking of other ways to raise money for the boiler.
“If we can't afford that how will the building be saved? For this is the history of Regina, this building,"
