Seniors’ centre should stay under city control
Re: “Privatized seniors’ centre?,” Aug. 13
City councillors, rightly, are looking for ways to reduce the operating costs of a new seniors’ centre. Two are suggesting the Lethbridge Senior Citizens Organization (LSCO) approach replace the Veiner Centre way. Let’s compare these two models.
LSCO, a “not-for-profit” business, has a paid CEO and a board of directors. Seniors buy memberships and pay additional fees. Almost every activity has an additional fee including parking. Fees add up and many seniors can’t afford them. Paid management relies on hundreds of unpaid volunteers and continuous fundraisers.
Now look at our Veiner Centre model. Managed by Senior Services, this city department also relies on many volunteers donating countless time and energy. Seniors pay for memberships. Extra fees are rare but offset costly programs. There are no irksome parking fees or fundraisers.
The Veiner Centre came into being from donated land and provincial and federal grants designated for seniors. The now “structurally sound” Veiner Centre has been earmarked by council for the Cultural Centre. The City of Medicine Hat has an obligation to replace the Veiner Centre. Senior Services had outgrown the Veiner Centre before the flood made the basement unusable. Other vacant buildings in town are too costly to upgrade or not senior accessible. The proposed seniors’ centre on Primrose Drive has been meticulously chosen and designed by the building committee based on years of experience with the Veiner Centre to meet the real needs of seniors.
So how do we choose between the LSCO and Veiner Centre models? One is a Medicine Hat solution that has worked well for 40 years providing programs affordable for seniors. The other is a Lethbridge solution with a paid CEO, less fettered by City Hall, nickel and diming seniors but relying on non-paid volunteers.
Councillors, don’t throw away all the good things that the Veiner Centre has been for this community. The city, alongside our seniors, have made the Veiner Centre work well. Let’s not destroy that goodwill now. Keep our new seniors’ centre under direct control of Senior Services, not a largely independent company. If operating costs need to be pared, perhaps, given the details, we seniors can help. Dwayne Myers Medicine Hat