A plan to charge senior citizens two dollars to use a new room at Kincardine’s Davidson Centre isn’t sitting well with a card playing club.
John Kesteloot, President of the Kincardine Area Seniors Bid Euchre and Shooter Card Club says playing cards twice a week is all many of the 80 members of the group can afford to do for recreation, and they might have to change their venue if they have to pay.
Club members already pay two dollars each time they attend.
The money covers the cost of refreshments, any that is leftover goes toward prizes, the new fee could mean some card players would be paying eight dollars a week.
Kesteloot says the club doesn’t want to lose members who might leave because of the extra cost.
Councillor Guy Anderson says the Recreation Committee met with the various seniors groups that already use the existing senior’s room at the Davidson Centre and they agreed to try the fee structure the municipality was proposing, but the euchre club later changed its mind after consulting with its members.
Three senior citizen’s card clubs already hold events during the week at the Davidson Centre.
Kesteloot wants senior’s groups to to be able to use the new senior’s room for free, just like they have at the room they currently use in the older part of the building.
Councillor Randy Roppel says use of the room should be free because senior citizens have already made enough contributions to society.
Anderson says the fees were established based on the operational needs of the expansion at the Davidson Centre, which come to about 250 thousand dollars a year.
Councillor Mike Leggett doesn’t think the process has gone fairly.
He says the municipality would lose over 6500 dollars a year by not charging the two dollar fee, but thinks that could easily be absorbed in the municipal budget somehow.
Councillor Gordon Campbell also opposes the fee.
Kay Freer of the euchre club also informed council that the group helped raise 26 thousand dollars towards furnishings for the new room.
Council has decided to send the issue back to the Recreation Committee for more discussion, but Anderson says the committee doesn’t have the right to reduce fees or give bonuses to any groups and that the final say rests with council.
Kesteloot is hopeful council will decide not to charge the card players two dollars each time they use the room.
He says there are supportive voices on council who recognize that senior’s have already contributed to the community over the years.