Seniors plan Drop-In reno

Gunnar Hansen goes to the Seniors Drop-In almost every day. When he's not playing whist or attending weekly jam sessions he's meeting with contractors to develop a new facility update plan.

“We've got to renovate because we need more room,” he said, noting he is helping head up the renovation committee. “This is a seniors' town, that's what it is.”

Hansen says if they knock down the western wall and raise the ceiling in the extended portion they will have enough space to hold weekly jam session and carpet bowling tournaments, for now.

While the town had planned to move the seniors' centre into the $7.5-million library building in a shared space, the members were not having any of it.

“If it had been strictly for the seniors I think we would have worked around it somehow,” Hansen said. “When they built that building the seniors weren't really involved. If we'd had some input maybe things would have been different.”

Seniors complained about door locks being too near the ground, the lack of storage space and their inability to affix commemorative plaques to the wall.

“We couldn't put our memorials on the wall,” he said. “It just didn't make sense.”

This time the town is on board reaching out to the seniors, helping them with paperwork, looking for grants and getting a submission ready for presentation to council.

The seniors hope small updates will help tide them over until more extensive renovations can be undertaken in two years when the town building gets a facelift.

“They're a pretty fun group,” said Terry Welsh, director of community and protective services. “A lot of them have participated in the building of the community.”

As baby boomers begin to retire it is important to make sure proper services are in place, he said.

Marvin Latimer, also on the renovation committee, says the fact the group is growing is a good thing.

“It makes us feel great,” he said. “We'd like to see more.”

The seniors will present their current plans in front of council on Nov. 27.