MIKE ATHEY
CAMPBELL’S BAY Sept. 24, 2020
The Campbell’s Bay recreation centre is receiving federal funding to help support seniors isolated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
On Sept. 24, Pontiac MP Will Amos, announced the R.A. Centre will receive $25,000 through the New Horizons for Seniors Program (NHSP).
According to the announcement, the funds will . . .
help “purchase light and gentle exercise equipment and improve accessibility space for seniors while ensuring physical distancing.”
Campbell’s Bay Mayor Maurice Beauregard said that there have been a lot of seniors who have been isolated because of the pandemic and these funds could help get them out again.
“So they aren’t stuck in residences, and get down and meet new friends,” said Beauregard.
Consultations are planned with senior groups in the community to choose how to best proceed forward with the project with the intent to have the “ball rolling” within a month or two.
Some early ideas were the construction of a shuffleboard on the R.A. Centre grounds and the creation of an outdoor “senior park” built beside the existing splash pad.
“If you have people coming with their grandkids, they’ll have something to do,” said Beauregard.
The mayor also wanted to make sure whatever they did could last for years.
“Don’t want to just buy toys no one will use,” said Beauregard.
Amos said the $25,000 was the maximum amount an NHSP application could receive and that it would be a big boost to the community.
“The municipality is fortunate they have access to an accessibility building,” Amos said in reference to the R.A. Centre. He added that the improvements would be “an active health amenity.”
He also praised Campbell’s Bay for doing great stuff including upgrades to the baseball field and the completion of the new splash pad.
“It’s a revitalization of the entire community,” said Amos.
According to the government website, the NHSP is a “federal grants and contributions program. It provides funding for projects that make a difference in the lives of seniors and in their communities.”
