By Laura Lennie, News Staff

Winona Seniors Centre chair Ron Smithson says the centre is in need of expansion.

“We’re running out of space; it’s limiting us quite a bit,” he said. “We don’t even have the space right now to ensure everything runs as smoothly as it should.”

The centre, which opened its doors in 1982 at 1239 Hwy. 8, has 375 members.

Men’s snooker, line dancing, shuffleboard, bid euchre, Tai chi, Zumba, six-handed bid euchre, cribbage, bridge, art classes and ballroom dancing workshops are offered Monday to Saturday, throughout the day, at the centre.

“When we have a general meeting with all the members, we’re limited to 90 places because of the size,” said Smithson, adding the centre’s washrooms also are not as accessible as they should be.

Smithson explains that because the club really only has one room for activities, volunteers are constantly putting up and taking down tables and chairs  to accommodate different classes and programs.

“For some of the seniors, it’s getting harder to do these kinds of things,” he said. “It also cuts into the time that members can spend on certain activities because other members are waiting to get in to set up for what they want to do.”

Smithson said storage space at the centre is lacking, as well.

“We’ve got things in the back room, the electrical room, which we’re not suppose to have there, but we do because what else can we do?”

Smithson said members have voiced concerns about the need for an expansion for a number of years.

Last year, city staff devised an outline of what had to be done to make it happen.

“That’s how far we got and then it was put on the budget…and then it got canned,” Smithson said. “I know that the budget’s under review right now…we’re just looking to acquire basically an extra room, more accessible washrooms, a library space and storage space. We’re not looking for land space (to expand) because there’s all kinds of space there.”

Smithson said members come from Hamilton, Stoney Creek, Winona and Grimsby.

With seniors living longer and healthier lives, expanding just makes sense, he added.

“Our membership continues to grow and there’s going to be more and more seniors out that way (Winona) in the future,” he said. “There’s still other things (activities) that we could do, but we just don’t have the space to do it. We want to be able to do better, more, for seniors.”

Area councillor Brenda Johnson said the Winona Seniors Centre expansion has been put on hold and she is awaiting the results of a feasibility study, which is expected to be completed next month. The study is examining a number of issues that include, but are not limited to, programming available in Winona, demand of residents for specific programs, demographics of residents and space for programs.

“As a council, we agreed to take a look at the entire community and see what’s needed in the community and who is being left out. Whatever needs to be done, the study will let us know and then we can spend our money on the expansion or, if it’s needed, somewhere else,” said Johnson, adding the expansion called for $1.65 million. “I didn’t feel comfortable with going ahead with an expansion on a seniors centre in Winona when there is nothing for the people of Winona recreational wise, except for some of the programs that were offered at the public school. I am sympathetic to Winona Seniors Centre being in need of expansion, but the needs of the entire community have to be addressed as well.”