According to the Virden history book “Anecdotes and Updates,” the New Horizon Centre was established in 1976 after renovations to the former Revelstoke building supply store on Nelson Street transformed it into a hub for recreation and social activities for seniors.
Throughout its formative years, as many as 120 people took part in weekly gatherings including shuffleboard, pool, carpet bowling and cribbage.
Now, there are only 14 active participants and in light of the diminishing membership and volunteer base, the current board of directors faces the challenge of re-inventing the facility and keeping it viable in the post-Covid era.
“We used to have card parties once in a while and invite all the other districts in,” said President Walter Heaman.
“It used to be that we went to different towns to play cards, and you weren’t allowed to go if you weren’t a member of one of these societies,” added Treasurer Wayne Turner. You had to be a member to travel on the circuit. Now, we play cards twice a week in the daytime and once at night, every week.”
“We are still travelling a little bit, but the pandemic put the kibosh on it.”
Going forward, new revenue sources are needed to keep up with ballooning costs, without which the threat of closure looms. Heaman said that while grants from both the private sector and government have been explored, they are largely geared towards capital projects and not day-to-day operations.
“Usually when we ask for a grant, we have to be doing something to get it,” he said.
The rear portion of the building, beset by water damage, was rendered unusable and removed earlier this year. Heaman expressed appreciation for the support of two private sector donors, the Richardson Foundation ($12,000) and Corex Resources ($8,000), which helped defray the cost of the large project. The Virden Area Foundation has provided grants, which were used for re-roofing, painting and new flooring, and other funds have been donated in memory of the late Dorothy Smith, the long-serving treasurer. The Town of Virden provided a grant equal to the landfill tipping fees, which were reduced as the structure ended up being dismantled manually for salvage, saving money in demolition costs.
“The Town has been very cooperative,” Turner said. “They try to help us out where they can.”
Having less space necessitated some changes which reduced income from rentals of the facility for meetings, teas, birthday parties and the like. Chairs, tables and other assets, including the pool and shuffleboard table, had to be sold off as there was no longer room for them.
“We did make some pretty good money on all the stuff that we sold,” Turner said. “That got us through so we could pay some bills. We’ve got two more grants that are pending… . With our other liabilities, it’s going to drain things pretty good if we don’t find another source of income.”
“SAIL (Seniors Access to Independent Living) was using the facility regularly, but has outgrown it. We haven’t got enough room for them anymore,” Heaman added.
Heaman stressed that the building is now fully operational once again as a drop-in centre, and the board’s goal is to increase its usage in the near future. Weekly card games have resumed, and rental is available for small meetings and gatherings. The concrete foundation was recently cut up and hauled away and the rear area is now suitable for off-street parking, which has proven beneficial as space is at a premium on Nelson St., particularly on weekdays.
“We would like new members and people to come in and use it,” Heaman said. “You don’t have to be a member just to play cards.” An annual membership costs $20.
“The building is just sitting here empty. If nothing changes, we are going to have to close.”
