It’s been nearly four months since renovations wrapped up on the Redvers Activity Centre’s day program facility, and the centre’s participants and staff, along with members of the community, were able to celebrate the completion with a grand reopening ceremony on Aug. 30.
“It was a really good turnout, and it was a really feel-good event,” said Marsha Goforth, the activity centre’s executive director. “I was really, really proud to be part of that this morning.”
The Redvers Activity Centre has 25 participants and employs another 61 people, making it the second-largest employer in the Redvers area, according to Goforth. And the day program plays a pivotal role in the centre’s services.
“Our whole mandate is to assist people to learn skills to be able to live and work on their own,” said Goforth. “That’s the ultimate goal for everybody, no matter where you’re starting at. For those people who can work in community jobs here in Redvers, they do, but for those who can’t, this is their job.”
The Saskatchewan Ministry of Social Services supplied more than $197,000 for the renovation, which covered the cost of the upgrades for the 25-year-old centre.
An awning was installed over the front doors, which Goforth said will help people with mobility issues, or those who arrive in vans, when they enter the building.
“The awning helps them not to be exposed to the elements, between the vehicle and the day program entrance,” said Goforth.
The day program’s doors were old, and often didn’t lock properly. They also froze during the winter. The funding helped the activity centre purchase two sets of accessible doors.
They also replaced the flooring in the day program area, and renovated the washrooms. About half the building was repainted, and the kitchen underwent an extensive renovation so that it could meet modern standards.
“We were given money to build a brand new, huge shower room in the back of our building,” said Goforth.
She noted the renovations have been praised by the participants who access the program on a daily basis.
“Because this was such an extensive renovation, we took the opportunity to revamp all of our programming,” said Goforth. “We support people right from 18 to 79 years old, all of varying abilities.”
The renovation also allowed them to expand the services they provide, and offer more physical activity for their participants. Due to the different ages and needs, the activity centre had a hard time finding a niche for everybody who accessed the day program.
They had a room on the north end of the building that was cluttered and rarely used, so it was cleared out and renovated.
“We’ve got a bowling alley in it, and we’ve got a foosball table and we’ve got a snooker table,” said Goforth. “It’s called our health and wellness room. We do yoga in there.
“Between the sedentary activities in the activity room and the more active activities in the wellness room, the renovations really turned into something bigger for the Redvers Activity Centre, and the people we support absolutely love it.”
In addition to the day program, the Redvers Activity Centre owns and operates three group homes and a supported independent living program, for those who live on their own but need a little assistance. They also operate revenue-generating businesses, including a SARCAN recycling depot and a greenhouse.
Goforth believes the centre plays an important role in the community, and it’s not just because of the number of people they employ, or the services they provide for their participants.
“We do all of our shopping locally,” said Goforth. “Thirty people buy their groceries here in town, and buy a lot of their clothes here in town, and even their furniture here in town.”
Because they want to be part of the community, they also access community amenities, so they swim and golf in the town, and attend shows when they are playing.
“We rent out our amenities whenever we can,” said Goforth. “Part of being part of your community is not only using your amenities, but having the community be part of you.”
Dan D’Autremont, the MLA for Cannington, was among those on hand for the celebration, and he paid tribute to the work the centre provides for the town.
“The Redvers Activity Centre is an inspirational institution in this town,” D’Autremont said. “The integration of the activity centre clients into the community has benefited us all. As a government, we are pleased to contribute to programming that strengthens the supports delivered to individuals in Redvers now and in the future.”
