An NDG institution has abruptly been given notice that it must move this weekend, and not in several months as managers had thought.
The NDG Food Depot has until next Monday to clear out its warehouse on Oxford Ave. but after 20 years in the same building, the charity's staff have no idea where to go.
"We're planning to get an army of volunteers in on the weekend and get everything into boxes and move on Monday. The only unknown is where we are going to move to," said Peter Butler.
The landlords told the Depot earlier this year that their lease would no longer be renewed; the building had been sold and ownership was being transferred.
In February acting director Kim Martin said the owners had agreed that the charity could continue to use the building until June, but this week the owners returned cheques for the next three months' rent, saying no such agreement ever existed.
Bonnie Soutar remembered it differently.
"We asked if we could possibly, you know, sign something to that effect and he said, 'No, no, no gentleman's agreement, no problem."
The charity is now planning one last distribution of food this Thursday, and hopes to remove everything by Monday.
The Depot's directors had hoped to find a permanent home before being forced to move, but that now seems unlikely.
"We were hoping to have something set up by the end of June at the latest but that's not happening anymore," said Soutar.
"Instead, the Depot's possessions will find a temporary home, possible at St. Philip's Church on Sherbrooke St. in Montreal West.
Hoping for a quick settling-in process, Butler said the Depot plans to be able to distribute food on April 15, and again in May.
