Maples C.C. board was dissolved in March

Maples

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This article was published 12/05/2023 (1074 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The board of directors of the Maples Recreation Association Inc. has been dissolved and the General Council of Winnipeg Community Centres has assumed responsibility for the governance and operations of Maples Community Centre.

Renters and customers of the MRAI were notified in a letter sent by GCWCC executive director Lora Meseman on April 4. The letter said the board was “dissolved” on March 21 “at the request of the City of Winnipeg.”

Meseman said the action was not related to any financial issues with the board.

She said GCWCC was asked by City of Winnipeg to step in and review some issues regarding accountability that the community centre had been dealing with.

“There were some concerns,” Meseman said. “So we stepped in to do a full review, which is what we’re doing, and the intention (is to) return it back to the community.”

Meseman said she could not discuss specific details, but the concerns stemmed from physical work being done at the centre. MRAI operates the Maples C.C. multiplex at 434 Adsum Dr., operates a cricket pitch and youth programs at its Elwick site (30 Maberley Rd.) and also operates the nursery school at James Nisbet Community School. Because its facilities are owned by the city, all work is closely reviewed, Meseman said.

The community centre’s facilities are becoming out of date and safety issues related to the state of the building are currently being corrected.

“We’re working on trying to find some funding for them to help them through that hiccup,” Meseman said. “It’s people, places, programs and processes. And so we’re also supporting them with processes and new rental agreements, the proper agreements, so that they can move forward without insurance and liability issues.”

In an emailed statement, Derek Dabee, a past-president of MRAI, declined to shed any light on the issue.

“There are 63 community centres in Winnipeg that are governed by GCWCC,” Dabee said. “It’s not unusual that GCWCC reaches out to assist community centres when necessary.”

The GCWCC has worked closely with former members of the MRAI board since it assumed control.

“We have four people from the community,” Meseman said. “In fact, they previously were on the board. And we’re working with them to make sound decisions.”

Meseman said that, on occasions when GCWCC is asked to step in, it’s important to get the facilities back in the hands of the community as soon as possible.

She said the Maples community has a very strong group of people visiting the centre, and getting Maples C.C. back to business as usual won’t be a problem. However, she wouldn’t say when that might happen.

All Maples recreational facilities and programs are operating as normal, Meseman said.