The Mattawa Wellness and Life Enrichment Corporation Board of Directors has notified Mattawa Council that come December 31, it will no longer offer fitness and other programs to local seniors.
Now, the town is wondering if they can keep the programs going and are considering reaching out to neighbouring municipalities for help with the bill.
“It’s attended by more than Mattawa residents,” noted Mayor Raymond Bélanger, speaking of the programs. “This should become a shared service endeavour,” he added, “We have to bring our neighbours into the fold, they have to see this letter, and they have to make a decision if they want to help us to keep this going.”
Another option the mayor suggested was for Mattawa to take it over “and there will be charges for our neighbours to participate.”
The letter he mentioned is the letter from the Mattawa Wellness Board, which detailed the pending program closures. Specifically, the Mattawa Community Senior Exercise Classes and the Mattawa Senior Stand UP! Classes and the Mattawa Qi Gong program have also concluded.
Mattawa Wellness has been running wellness projects since 2011, and has worked with Ontario Health, ParticipAction, 24-7 Gym, Mattawa Golden Age, Algonquin Nursing Home, the Madadjiwan Centre, Mattawa Mental Health, and the Women’s Shelter.
Funding has come through various grants from Ontario’s Ministry of Health, Canada’s ParticipAction, the North Bay Parry Sound Health Unit, the Nipissing District Social Services Board, and most recently, Ontario’s Ministry of Seniors and Accessibility.
The board noted that over those years, “over $245,000” has been brought into the community in mostly local wages and locally bought supplies.”
“I think this is a very important program,” Councillor Laura Ross said, “We need to do something with this.” Other councillors agreed the program provides great value to the community but the extra cost to the municipality – which hovers around $20,000 per year – could be prohibitive.
“I think it’s a good program,” Councillor Garry Thibert agreed, “but our financial situation is kind of dire, I think we should take it over, but I’m not sure how.”
Municipal staff will put together a report with options for council to consider, weighing the pros and cons of taking over the programs.
And the option to ask neighbouring municipalities remains on the table, Mayor Bélanger emphasized, noting, “It is time that all municipalities come to the forefront, and on a per capita basis, we pay all our share.”
David Briggs is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter who works out of BayToday, a publication of Village Media. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.
