Peter Clinkard is a member of the Moose Jaw & District Senior Citizens Association, and every week he meets a group of sometimes 20 other members for pickleball at the gym in Timothy Eaton Gardens.
Unfortunately for Clinkard and other members, the Association is facing funding issues and is predicting they will be closed entirely within six months — which means no more pickleball, or any of the other various activities hosted by the Association.
“We've done the best we can. We've used up all our resources. We've used up all our money that was bequeathed to us by people in the past,” said Clinkard, as Jean Jackson, board member and treasurer for the Association, nodded along.
The sport of pickleball has really taken off in Moose Jaw, and without the gym at Timothy Eaton Gardens to play in, players will need a new venue.The Senior Citizens Association covers 65 per cent of the utilities for the entire building, which usually amounts to an average of $5,000 to $6,000 per month and is about what the Association is missing. Raising membership fees would not cover that deficit, and Jackson does not think that is a viable solution.
“A lot of these people are on very fixed incomes. If we put our cards up, say two or three or $4 an afternoon [from $2], a lot of them wouldn't be able to play as often as they do or maybe at all,” said Jackson. “And so it would defeat the purpose and it would certainly hurt them.”
Both Jackson and Clinkard would be sad to see the doors close, as the place provides seniors with somewhere to go to be social and active.
“If the centre closes, the seniors are going to be out on the street, because where else can they go?” said Clinkard.
“Every peer group needs their own space,” said Jackson. “There’s lots of facilities for sports groups and younger people, and so there should be, but so there should be for seniors [too].”
“It's not good, for the seniors of Moose Jaw, really and truly,” said Clinkard.
The Timothy Eaton Gardens building is owned by the City of Moose Jaw and shared with the Moose Jaw Housing Authority, and the Senior Citizens Association is hoping that someone will step in to offer help before they turn over the keys and close its doors.
“The ideal situation would be that the City take over this building again, because they own it, pay the insurance, pay the utilities and let us run the rest,” said Clinkard.
“That would solve the problem,” added Jackson.
Another alternative could be funding through corporate sponsorship or the intervention of the provincial government — thus far, grants have not been helpful due to the strict parameters of most offered.
Jackson and Clinkard agreed that only about $50,000 per year would be needed to keep the Association running, as their fundraising and fees dutifully cover the rest of their operating expenses.
The Seniors Association and the Cosmo Senior Citizen's Centre are in the same position regarding dwindling resources, and so they will be hosting a town hall meeting on Apr. 28, at 2 p.m. in the Cosmo Centre.
Members of the public concerned about services for seniors are encouraged to attend and offer their input regarding the future of both organizations.
