Don’t push seniors off of Fritz Sick floor

Having lived in Lethbridge since 1997, I have attended dances twice a week and music jams once a week with other seniors at LSCO with 60-90 in attendance. At each occasion, a resin was applied to the floor without consultation with the seniors. You could not dance without the use of floor wax.

Shortly, the dances were stopped because of the floor wax.

The jam sessions have been held in the same auditorium for at least 18 years. Now we are barred from this room because of the floor being treated with the resin.

This is a senior centre given to the citizens of Lethbridge by the Fritz Sick family for a dollar.

You don’t tell seniors what to do, you ask them what they would like to do.

The dances twice a week brought in about $800 to $1,000 a month with the 50-50 draw. The jams brought in $500-600 a month with 50-50. There seems to be an effort to push out the jam session.

The cost of the resin applied to the floor I would estimate to be $14,000 to $16,000 a year.

With dances and the jams, it amounts to approximately $1,500 per month, which adds up to approximately $18,000 per year that was taken in. The dances are now gone, and if the jam leaves, when are you going to wake up that the floor treatment is a colossal waste of money and a deterrent to seniors’ needs?

Dancing and music are a benefit to seniors with the exercise and the uplift from the music, and also the visiting, etc. Seniors need this outing for their own survival and mind and body therapy.

The jam is increasing in participation and interest, so why not co-operate?

Dancing does not abuse the floor if left as untreated hardwood. You ban dancing but allow floor hockey, etc. Who’s got the gripe?

Dean Oseen

Lethbridge