Woodhaven offers ‘full rainbow’ of programs
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This article was published 23/04/2019 (2328 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Tucked away along the banks of Sturgeon Creek, Woodhaven Community Club has been serving the St. James community since at least 1959.
“Everybody always says it’s some of the best nights around, even on those coldest days you can skate at Woodhaven because it’s really well-protected from the wind,” president Mike Weber said.
The club, located at 200 Glendale Blvd., has undergone significant renewal under Weber’s leadership — including the construction of a new play structure and upcoming renovations on the main hall.
Winter is the busiest season for the club with numerous hockey and ringette teams running out of the two outdoor hockey rinks and recreational skating at the tennis court turned pleasure rink. The club also runs a soccer program in the summer.
To keep up with activities, Woodhaven employs seven staff in the winter and one in the summer. The club relies heavily on community support, with about 50 per cent of its operational costs coming from fundraising and signature events like its Christmas at the Hill, a winter carnival and spring and fall dinners.
Weber describes the club’s demographic as a “full rainbow” and programming for kids, families and seniors reflects that. One of the club’s regular programs is the Woodhaven Men’s Shed, which is a social and activity group for older men that promotes emotional wellbeing.
The group was started by Doug Mackie in 2011 and at that time it was the first program of its kind in Canada. Today, there are 27 Men’s Sheds across the country boasting more than 500 members. Every Wednesday afternoon, a group of about 30 men get together at Woodhaven to make wood carvings and crafts, play cards and socialize. The group also runs a weekly speaker series.
“We’re really proud of those guys, they help us out a lot with our day-to-day stuff. They’ve got a wealth of knowledge and they apply it to our building,” Weber said.
Weber grew up in the Woodhaven neighbourhood and both of his parents volunteered with the community club.
“We’ve been part of the club for a while and many, many families in the neighbourhood have that same thing,” he said. “It’s a pretty special place and a lot of people have some pretty strong ties to it.”