The Hindu Society of P.E.I. is putting out a call to congregation members for donations to help purchase land for a new temple in Winsloe South, northwest of Charlottetown.
The society announced Tuesday that its offer on a lot at 259 Winsloe Rd. had been accepted. It hopes to build a new temple there, and is seeking about $160,000 in donations by Dec. 15 to close the deal. So far it has raised between $35,000 and $40,000.
“It had a really positive energy when we visited that lot,” the society’s president, Krishna Thakur, told CBCÂ News.
The society is currently operating a temple in what Thakur said amounts to “basically a garage off a building,” at a rented mixed-commercial space on Capital Drive in Cornwall.
He said that space, which has housed the temple for about eight months, isn’t big enough to accommodate large gatherings and prayer sessions, or host community kitchens.
Although Thakur couldn’t put an exact number on the society’s membership, he said the temple averages between 40 and 50 visitors a day and as many as 200 people have turned out on special occasions.
According to Statistics Canada data from 2021, the most recent year available, 0.8 per cent of P.E.I. residents identify as Hindu.
Hoping to raise money locally
Thakur said the Winsloe Road lot is both accessible and relatively inexpensive. It also has few neighbouring houses, so large gatherings would not cause as much disruption as they would in a more densely populated area. Â
Finally, the lot has much-needed space for parking, which can be an issue at the temple’s current location.
Thakur said he hopes to raise most of the $160,000 by Dec. 15 through local donations, but the fundraising campaign will continue after it hits that mark, as the society turns its attention to planning the new building.
A community centre is also a possibility down the road, but the first step is acquiring the land.
“We are 100 per cent confident we can close the deal on time,” Thakur said.
