Senior’s centre gets a new home

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 23/09/2010 (5502 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Construction on the new Sturgeon Heights Community Centre hasn’t begun yet, but a second phase of development was announced last week.

A new $550,000, 1,800 sq. ft. addition to the community centre will be the new home for the St. James – Assiniboia 55+ Centre.

The project received $300,000 in funding from the city last week. Officials were hoping the rest of the money would come from the federal and provincial governments.

The centre will be modeled on the Bronx Community Centre and the Good Neighbours Senior Centre in East Kildonan.

“A new facility for our centre, separate from Deer Lodge Centre will allow for improved parking, expanded programs, and allow us to better meet the needs of our members and the community as a whole,” said Roxanne Greaves, executive director of the centre.

Sturgeon Heights Community Centre president Linda Smiley said that she was excited about the addition of the senior’s centre because it will now be used by people of all ages in the community.

“Community centres do typically stay empty during the day so the senior centre will be able to use the multi-purpose room and the gym,” Smiley said.

“St. James is an older community and it’s nice for them to have somewhere they can call home.”

Coun. Scott Fielding (St. James-Brooklands) said he’s been working with the seniors centre to identify a new location for them for almost four years.

“Right now they are on the third floor of the Deer Lodge Centre and they have some concerns that it gives off the message of illness, so they really wanted a new centre,” he said.

Fielding said he’s hoping that either the provincial or federal governments will help make up the difference for the project, and that will determine when the second phase begins.

Construction on the first phase of the community centre is expected to begin some time in October.

trevor.suffield@canstarnews.com