By Khang Nguyen

Seniors rally to keep Heritage Centre open

Sep 30, 2015 | 6:20 AM

Although it wasn’t up for discussion at Monday night’s city council meeting, Jim Priestley held a silent protest against the selling of the Margo Fournier Centre.

Priestly stood outside the chambers as the council meeting holding a cardboard sign. Written in marker, one side read, “Keep Margo Fournier Centre for seniors and other clubs,” and the other read, “Margo Fournier not for sale.”

Priestley’s sign directly opposes the “for sale” sign posted outside of the Margo Fournier Centre which has been there since late August.

The sign has caused some senior residents to worry about the future of the Kinsmen Heritage Seniors Centre which is connected to the Margo Fournier Centre.

President of the Heritage Centre Bill Norman said the “for sale” sign came as a surprise to him and many others who use the Centre daily.

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“We were quite concerned because we have quite a lot of people who use this Centre. We’re quite active in the community,” Norman said. “Everybody was really bothered that they were going to sell this place.”

The Heritage Centre is used daily as a meeting place for the seniors to play cards, drink coffee, and hold events.

“It’s really good for all of the people that live alone and they can come here for socialization rather than just staying at home,” Norman said. “It’s central to all of the high-rises downtown where the seniors live so it’s an ideal place and we hope that it will remain open.”

Norman said he has recently talked to Mayor Greg Dionne about the status of the Heritage Centre and hopes it will not be included in the sale of the Fournier Centre.

After Monday’s council meeting, Dionne said that could be a possibility.

“I will never vote to sell the Heritage Centre,” Dionne vowed “Will I vote to sell the Margo? Yes. But unfortunately, they are attached.

“We have an option. We can sell the Margo Fournier and not the Heritage Centre. We have lots of buildings in our city that are called co-op – half the title is with the city, half would go to the other owner,” Dionne explained.

Although the “for sale” sign is on the property, Dionne said it is simply part of the process as the building will not be sold until the city’s elected officials vote on it.

Many seniors, including Norman, are scheduled to attend Oct. 5’s executive committee meeting to share their concerns before it goes to city council.

“If we cannot detach them, I will not vote to sell it because I respect the seniors,” Dionne said.

According to Dionne, the interested party in the purchase of the Margo Fournier Centre will soon be revealed to the public.

knguyen@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @khangvnguyen