Moose Jaw’s two main seniors’ groups are always looking for new members, and because of the age of some people on city council, they attempted to recruit municipal officials during a recent meeting.
The Moose Jaw and District Seniors Association and Cosmo Senior Citizens Association were two of 15 third-party community groups that spoke to council during its first budget meeting on Nov. 29.
The district association is asking for $70,000 next year, which is $33,229 more than this year, while Cosmo wants $15,652, which is $107 less than this year.
Moose Jaw and District Seniors Association
The association’s expenses have increased, including salaries for its six full- and part-time staff, food, cleaning products, utilities, and maintenance for its aging building. In particular, the venue needs a $50,000 air conditioner and new flooring.
Extra funding would make it possible to improve the building and offer more programs to grow the membership and meet existing demands.
Dave Pelletier, vice-president, said he joined this year because his mother-in-law used to teach classes at the Timothy Eaton Gardens. Since joining, he has seen how busy the venue is, from its arts and crafts to other programs that challenge people physically and mentally.
The association hit 500 members this summer, while it was 583 at the end of November, which shows how hard the group is working, he said.
Pelletier recalled the actual Eaton’s Store operating there — now a heritage building — in the 1960s and how it anchored the downtown shopping district. He also recalled its earliest founders, Tom Gill and George Terry, the latter most decorated Saskatchewan Aboriginal veteran and a Citizen of the Year.
Pelletier promoted the venue’s coffee shop, its breakfast, and its “great cook” before encouraging council members to attend. While most looked “considerably youthful,” he joked that there could be a few older than 50 who would enjoy being a member, prompting chuckles from council.
“… it builds a community. We’re a family. Once we get to know each other, we encourage people to come back,” he said.
If Moose Jaw wants to be “notoriously competitive,” then the community needs a seniors’ organization, added Pelletier. He noted that a 2021 demographic snapshot shows people between ages 55 and 84 comprise 34 per cent of the population.
Mayor Clive Tolley said the venue’s history is a “tremendous story of adaptive reuse” and that the association has successfully managed the building. He also commended the board for increasing membership — which included himself as a new member.
Cosmo Senior Citizens Association
Treasurer Robert (Bob) Cobbe said the Cosmo Centre is starting to return to pre-pandemic normalcy, but there are still many seniors who worry about congregating in large groups. To address this, the group is working to reduce that isolation and alleviate fears.
Volunteers keep the organization going and offer their time to fix equipment or refurbish the building, which keeps expenses down, he continued, before listing off examples of Cosmo’s many programs — particularly pickleball — in which the roughly 250 members participate.
Cobbe highlighted the April performance by Puerto Vallarta, Mexico-based band The Lovers, which netted Cosmo $4,000. That was “a real eye-opener” for the board since it only expected 100 people. Instead, hundreds turned out and the dance floor was packed.
Thus, the board has booked The Lovers again for next summer.
At one point, Cobbe invited everyone to become members and attend the organization’s Thursday, Dec. 7, Christmas supper.
The Cosmo Centre appreciates the municipal funding since it covers ongoing expenses with utilities and insurance, said Cobbe. Meanwhile, with future challenges like upgrading old equipment, the board wants a cost-sharing agreement since the building is city-owned, but the organization pays for all repairs.
“We did finish in the black last year, but if even one of those pieces of equipment goes, we’re gonna be way in the hole,” he added.
The mayor commended the Cosmo board for working diligently to acquire more events to increase revenues. He visited the hall recently and saw that it looked good and was well used, while it’s always busy when he drives by.
Coun. Crystal Froese thanked the Cosmo Centre for its programming, for helping fight isolation and for supporting seniors’ mental health needs.
The next budget meeting is Wednesday, Dec. 6.
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