Now that the Victoria Park Seniors Centre has reached 1,000 members, what is next?
The answer: a party to celebrate the event.
At 1,000 members strong, the Victoria Park Seniors Centre is a force to be reckoned with.
On Feb. 28, seniors centre members along with Centre Wellington staff and council members celebrated the milestone.
“We are extremely excited to host a celebratory event to thank our members on this momentous occasion,” said Kathryn Morgan, supervisor of senior services.
“For the past 26 years, the Victoria Park Seniors Centre has played a dynamic role in Centre Wellington. Our goal is to support active, healthy lifestyles for older adults through an extensive range of social, health, recreational and educational activities and programs.”
The community was invited to celebrate with the Victoria Park Seniors Centre.
The gathering included cake and warm wishes from Mayor Kelly Linton, members of council, the advisory board, staff and centre members.
“What an awesome day this is. One thousand members … that’s amazing. As a council we are so excited about this,” Linton said. “For a town the size of Centre Wellington with 30,000 people (this membership) is incredible.”
He also spoke of the number of hours dedicated by those who volunteer their time.
He said the centre “is not just a building in our community that offers a wide range of programs and services for our seniors, it is a home away from home.”
Linton said it is a place members can congregate with friends, enjoy lunch and activities, meet new people and take part in a healthy and active lifestyle.
The centre provides a wide range of programs and services for seniors from active living programs and support services to volunteering opportunities.
Programs offered are tailored to individuals 55 years of age and older. However all registered programs are open to any adult looking to stay active and develop new skills and friendships.
The centre officially opened its doors in June 1992, later renovating its space in 2015 to accommodate the growing membership.
Residents are invited to drop by, take out a membership and experience the benefits of participating.”
Linton said that while the 2015 expansion is working well, “… I keep hearing we may have to talk about adding more space already. We may have to consider building up.”
The 2015 expansion was planned to allow the potential construction of a second floor.
“I am not making any announcements about that today … I’m just hearing rumbling about the need for more space,” he said.
“Congratulations on reaching the 1,000-member mark.”
At a council session on Feb. 26, councillor Fred Morris said when a major addition was added roughly five years ago, the centre had a membership of 600 to 700 people.
