55+ Centre receives funding for expansion

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This article was published 01/02/2016 (3822 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The St. James-Assiniboia 55+ Centre received some long-awaited news on Jan. 19 — the province committed to a donation of $3.9 million to the St. James Civic Centre (2055 Ness Ave.), which will go towards an expansion and become the 55+ Centre’s new home.

“We’re thrilled beyond words that we’re entering into this really great partnership with the Civic Centre,” said 55+ Centre president Marilyn Robinson. “People have certainly been feeling a little down that it’s taken such a while because we’ve been talking about this for four years now so to see it coming to fruition is very exciting for everybody.”

The expansion received $3.9 million from the provincial government, in addition to $250,000 from the Winnipeg Foundation which will fund the 16,000 square foot expansion.

The 55+ Centre programming currently runs out of one of the Deer Lodge centre buildings, which has limited the number of members that can participate in programs. The area is also known for its challenging parking situation.

Robinson said it’s mutually beneficial for both groups because it will mean that the centre will be used for up to 16 hours per day, rather than just in the evening as it tends to be now. It will also give seniors access to the Civic Centre’s amenities, such as the swimming pool and ice rink.

“It just creates a sort of recreational complex or campus in that area and I think that is a phenomenal feature opportunity for the area,” Robinson said. “It’s been a very strong collaboration all the way… we’ve got quite a shopping list of things we’d like to do and we keep getting suggestions from members for other things that they’d like to have.”

She said the project will likely break ground in fall 2016, though a lot of planning still has to happen before that.

St. James MLA Deanne Crothers added that it’s about more than staying active.

“If someone ends up losing a partner, and they’re on their own, it’s easy for people to kind of withdraw,” she said. “If there’s a way for us to keep connecting and encouraging people to come out and making them feel at home and that there’s a space that’s dedicated to them, they’ll be more likely to stay involved and get to know other people who might be in the same position, and those are all really good things.”

For more information, please visit http://www.stjamescentre.com/

 

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