Since 1992, the Sackville Hill Seniors Recreation Centre has been a wonderful place for seniors to keep active and socialize with their peers. In 2013, the City of Hamilton and the federal government of Canada will partner in a $1.3-million renovation project under the Community Infrastructure Improvement Fund (CIIF).
CIIF has approved two redevelopment projects in Hamilton — at the Ancaster Seniors Achievement Centre and Sackville Hill Seniors Centre. Under CIIF, eligible recipients may receive a non-payable contribution of up to 50 per cent of eligible costs of an infrastructure project with the recipients providing the remaining balance and the project must be completed by March 31, 2014.
Sackville Hill Seniors Recreation Centre bears the name of city builder Sackville Hill, who came to Canada from Oxfordshire, England, in 1883. Prior to his death in 1950, Mr. Hill donated 20 acres of land and a $75,000 gift fund for the development of a park along the west side of Upper Wentworth, north of Mohawk. The land became home to Sackville Hill Park, Hill Park Secondary School and the Sackville Hill Seniors Recreation Centre.
With over 2,000 members, the centre is well used by our seniors and offers 63 instructional programs, such as fitness, dance, art, music and sewing, as well as 52 drop-in programs which encompass different types of team sports and card games.
After 20 years, the centre is in need of some repair work, which will include upgrades to meet the Accessible Ontario Disability Act barrier-free improvements to the facility, replacement of the roof and windows, upgrades to the heating and cooling system and redesign of the gardens with shade structures.
The funding for these projects will be $650,000 from CIIF Federal Grant, $300,000 from the city recreation centre retrofits fund, $200,000 from the city code and legislative compliance fund and $150,000 from the Ward 7 area rating special capital reinvestment reserve, for a total cost of $1.3 million.
The unfortunate part of this good news is that the recreation centre will be closed for the months of August and September to perform the roof and HVAC construction work. Recreation staff are making arrangements to co-ordinate with Westmount, Hill Park and other area senior centres, and churches, to provide some of the programs at their centres. For further information, please contact the supervisor of seniors district at 905-546-2424 ext. 5446.
Scott Duvall is councillor for Ward 7 (central Mountain). Columns from the Mountain’s councillors appear monthly on a rotating basis.
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