The Basilica Recreation Centre - Before and After----------------------------------------------------------- Peter MacNeill was the architect for the project. He deserved a medal for his untiring effort trying to understand what we wanted, putting it down on paper, revising it many times, and attending all our long meetings. I got to know Peter very well. He was from and a friend of Bishop MacEachern. The bishop persuaded Peter to come to the Island. His work includes the Diocesan office, the Basilica Recreation Centre, the seniors' residence on , and many Island churches. He also entered provincial politics and was an MLA for one term. I do not have the exact date on which we started our deliberations; but in 1962, the President of the Laymen's Association made reference to the announcement of the construction of the building as being the culmination of four years of planning and study. Ground breaking ceremony June 28, 1962. (L-R) Fr . Pat, Peter McNeil , Art Mclnnis and Matt Hagen . The building permit was obtained on July 30th, 1962 by the building contractor Williams Murphy and MacLeod. The estimated cost of the project was $830,000. In the picture that accompanied the news article announcing the sod turning ceremony, Monsignor Patrick McMahon is shown on a bulldozer during the sod turning ceremony. He does not look very happy. Looking on is architect Peter MacNeill , Art Maclnnis (center), representing the Laymen's Association; and Matt Hagen (with the hat), chair of the building committee. 36