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Seniors activity centres are being established in Kingsville and Amherstburg following a funding announcement Tuesday by Raymond Cho, Ontario’s minister for seniors and accessibility.
The two facilities, at the Kingsville Community Centre on Division Road and the Fort Malden Golden Age Centre on Victoria Street in Amherstburg, will help keep seniors active physically and mentally, Cho said during a visit to Kingsville Tuesday.
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Helping seniors stay active helps keep them out of the hospital, saving money in the health care system and it provides them with respect, he said.
“This one is a win-win-win program — win for the seniors, win for the community, win for the taxpayers, win for everybody,” Cho said.
The two centres bring the total in the province to 316, said Cho. A senior himself at 87, he said the goal is to expand the number to 600 across the province.
Funding for the centres will be provided annually, with up to $50,000 from the province, with total costs for the centres covered annually in an 80/20 per cent split with the local municipalities.
Seniors themselves provide the services through volunteer time, said Cho.
Active seniors centres offer a range of social and active programs for seniors to participate in, including activities such as tai chi, fitness classes, social groups, book clubs and arts and culture programs.
The tai chi session in Kingsville started out with only 12 people but now attracts more than 100 people each session, said MPP Anthony Leardi (PC — Essex) who, along with MPP Andrew Dowie (PC — Windsor-Tecumseh) and Mayor Dennis Rogers attended the announcement at the Division Road location.
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