It’s called 247 Lounge and was the brainchild of Grade 12 student Cody Taylor.
Taylor said he got $150 through an RBC’s Make 150 Count competition that involved writing a 150-word essay about how he would make an impact in his community.
“For me, that community was school, I suppose,” he said.
The lounge took over a room that used to be designated for teacher preparation time at Montague Regional High School.
Now it has a couch along one wall, a small table with a few chairs along another and a few other amenities like a coffee maker.
It also has pamphlets to help students deal with issues they face like anxiety, stress, mental illness and sexual harassment.
Taylor said his idea was to create an inclusive room where students would be able to go to escape the stresses of the day, to socialize, study or just be around people.
“People needed somewhere to go,” he said.
In January, Taylor got word he was getting the money and started work on the lounge soon after.
There were also donations used to turn what Taylor said was a big empty room into the lounge.
“We just wanted to make the room as comfortable as possible,” he said.
Taylor said the lounge gets a lot of use during lunchtimes and study periods.
“A lot of people just come in here because there’s someone else in here that they can talk to.”
