Seniors in Moncton finally secure new space after years-long search
City council approves $1.1 million for new seniors' centre in west end
Seniors are one step closer to once again having a central, dedicated space to socialize and learn in Moncton.
The city has approved more than $ 1.1 M to help a local non-profit group lease and renovate the first floor of the former Wawanesa Insurance building on St. George Boulevard.
The independent committee of seniors, known as Project 1010, has been pushing for help to secure the space for more than a year.
"It makes me feel like we are actually seen," committee member Sandra Wallace said. "Seniors will have a dedicated space where they can congregate — even have coffee together."
Beyond being a social hub with a cafeteria, Wallace said, the new 10,000-square-foot space will offer exercise classes and services such as wellness seminars about blood pressure, balance and mobility.
It will also offer skill-building workshops in how to use computers and phones.
The $1.1 million will cover leasing costs and secure the space for 20 years. The group is also getting a loan of $689,000 for furniture and equipment, and up to $250,000 in operational funding annually for up to five years.
Council made the unanimous decision on the funding motion in a private meeting earlier this month, and details about the funding were made public this week.
The project is also a partnership with Rising Tide, a charity that works to increase affordable housing. Rising Tide already owns the building, and has plans to build housing units for seniors on the top two floors.
Seniors felt 'invisible' after previous centre repurposed
Wallace said the validation from the city couldn't come soon enough after seniors lost their longtime centre on St. George Street in 2022.
Seniors used to gather at the former Lions Club, but the city took over the space when it needed a central location for an emergency shelter.
"In many cases, some seniors said to us that they felt invisible, they felt that they didn't have any value, that they weren't respected … because we were sort of left without a place to go," Wallace said.
Wallace said the location, which is just four kilometres from the original centre, is optimal because it's right across the street from a bus stop for seniors who depend on transit.
Coun. Shawn Crossman, who drafted the motion along with Coun. Daniel Bourgeois, previously met with more than 80 seniors to ask them what they needed most in a new centre.
"The most important thing for them was inclusion, getting away from isolation and being able to bond with other seniors," Crossman said.
There are also plans for a large room to accommodate 200 people, space for the Moncton Bridge Club to play, offices, and a place for seniors from different backgrounds to exchange information and food from their culture, which Wallace coined as "a human library."
"The health-care system will improve if we can get seniors together because they're not lonely and that's a big, big deal," Wallace said.
The group plans to hold a series of town hall meetings in the coming weeks to hear from more seniors about what they hope to see in the centre.
There is no confirmed timeline for the project, but Crossman said the aim is to have it open in late fall.
Wallace said the new centre could serve as a model nationally on ways to concentrate affordable housing, essential services and socializing for seniors in one place.
"It's a real community effort to get this together and having the seniors win in this case, we're thrilled."
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