Seniors’ Active Living Centre holds ribbon cutting in Whitney

On May 22 at the seniors’ centre in Whitney, there was a ribbon cutting ceremony for the South Algonquin Seniors’ Active Living Centre, a partnership between the Community Resource Centre-Killaloe, the Township of South Algonquin, the province of Ontario, Whitney Seniors New Outlook, the seniors complex in Madawaska and the Algonquins of Ontario. The Minister of Seniors Affairs and Accessibility Raymond Cho, MPP John Yakabuski, CRC executive director Bil Smith, South Algonquin Mayor Ethel LaValley and South Algonquin Councillors Joan Kuiack, Joe Florent and Laurie Siydock were there to celebrate the occasion with their township’s seniors.

The Seniors’ Active Living Centre offers tools, resources and support to empower seniors over 55 years of age to lead more meaningful lives. The program’s coordinator, Gloria Beauclair, says they look forward to many rewarding years working alongside community seniors engaging in fun and memorable activities.

LaValley thought it was wonderful and gave a big thank you to Smith for helping to make it all happen.
“When he came [to present to council in July, 2023], I thought we’ll make an application and it’ll be on file, but it came through and we all owe thanks to Bil for that. I feel really excited about it and people are really excited about it and that’s what it’s all about,” she says.

Bryan Martin, CAO, emphasized that this was a partnership between the CRC-Killaloe, South Algonquin Township, the Whitney Seniors New Outlook and the Whitney and Area Algonquins.
“This programming is supplemental and an enhancement to the services already being provided by the Whitney Seniors New Outlook program downstairs at the township office,” he says.

Smith presented to South Algonquin council last July about this SALC and the grant that would fund it. The Bancroft Times covered this presentation in the article “CRC Resource Centre Killaloe presents to South Algonquin council” in their July 23, 2023 issue.

Since 2018, CRC Killaloe has been operating SALCs and has been expanding over the past six years. It’s a partnership between the province, the municipalities and a third-party provider, namely CRC Killaloe. In 2022, they served over 200 seniors with this programming, and were able to apply for and get a new SALC for South Algonquin last summer. The funding came through in December, 2023 or January, 2024 according to Smith.
“The first few months we were setting it up, deciding what we needed to do and hiring a coordinator up here. It’s a long process to find the right person but we did. It’s a grand opening of the program, not the centre, as it’s already an active centre. So, we’re here to support them and grow what’s there,” he says.

Smith said the grant was for $50,000 per year, with a special grant on top of that and that South Algonquin Township as part of their partnership with the program would be contributing $10,000 per year.
CRC Killaloe offers innovative holistic programs to support people of all ages and families to acquire new skills, build on their strengths, access supports and services in South Algonquin and throughout Renfrew County and help its communities grow in a positive direction. More information can be found at www.crc-renfewcounty.com.

Smith mentioned that they worked with the University of Western Ontario’s Canadian Centre for Activity and Aging to help train volunteer senior fitness instructors for the seniors’ activities that will be taking place as part of the SALC in Whitney and Madawaska. Older adults (55 years of age and older) and seniors (65 years of age and older) are the fastest growing demographic in the province, according to the Ministry of Seniors and Accessibility website. With nearly 60 per cent of South Algonquin residents 55 years of age and older and 32 per cent 65 years of age and older, according to 2021 census data, this new seniors’ programming will be welcomed and well used by the township residents.
Ontario offers 80 per cent of the net maintenance and operating costs and the township is responsible for the other 20 per cent, either in cash or in-kind funding like providing space or services for the SALC. There was also a provision to have funding for a part-time coordinator for the program, which Beauclair will be providing.

Smith thanked everyone for coming to the event on May 22, and then Margaret Haskin and Roberta Della-Picca from the Algonquins of Ontario performed the “Welcome Song”, and later on performed the “Travelling Song” at the end of the ceremony.

Yakabuski spoke of the importance of supporting seniors and what he called public enemy number one for them; isolation.
“So, when we can have spaces and places for seniors to gather, to get together, not only to enjoy each other’s company but activities that continue to fuel them and fire them up and keep them active and healthy and complete and leading full lives as they age, that’s an important thing for us. This is the tenth SALC opening in Renfrew, Nipissing, Pembroke, the most of any riding in Ontario,” he says.

Cho, who is 87 years old, said that there were 300 SALCs across Ontario with 17 more this year, and Renfrew County got two of them. He said that Yakabuski was his favourite MPP as he worked so hard for seniors, and had gotten more than $500,000 in Seniors’ Community Grants last year. He revealed that he had a gift for everyone there, that would make the men and women more handsome and beautiful respectively and younger.
“It has been proven in the medical science community that when we have a good belly laugh and the endorphins it generates in our body. When I get up in the morning, I look in the mirror and have a good belly laugh and I look at my funny face and I laugh more! And I’ve been practicing for 20 years and I feel like I’m in my 50s. I’m so energetic!” he says.

LaValley thanked Smith for all his efforts to get the SALC to South Algonquin and said that their location, not quite northern Ontario and not quite southern Ontario, sometimes means they’re forgotten, but this time with the SALC, they weren’t forgotten, thanks in large part to Smith.

Smith thanked LaValley for her kind words, but said it was not only him but his board, which included Fran Murphy and Della-Picca, who were there that day. He said that at the CRC they think about a future where people have access to the supports and services they need and the connections and opportunities they need to live full lives in vibrant communities. He said the future is now as they didn’t have these programs in South Algonquin 10 years ago.
“We’re very fortunate with the support of the provincial government and township council to be able to open up a licensed childcare centre here in town, we have the Toy Bus EarlyON program here, we have the GameON afterschool program here and now we this, a jewel in our crown, the SALC. It’s not just here in Whitney but in Madawaska and throughout the entire township,” he says.

Carmen Goold is a regional development advisor who works with several ministries including Seniors and Accessibility, and she covers the Renfrew Nipissing area.
“My role is to work with the different organizations. And with more operating money, the seniors can enjoy having fun as opposed to having to operate [the SALC] and manage it. So, it’s nice to have funding to help with that,” she says.

Beauclair told The Bancroft Times that she thought the whole ribbon cutting ceremony for the SALC went well overall.
“It’s great that MPP Yakabuski and Minister Cho were here with their busy schedules. It’s great that such a small community was able to be recognized,” she says. “I’m sure it meant a lot to our seniors.”

Michael Riley, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Bancroft Times