Sudbury’s Parkside Centre is preparing to reopen
Sudbury's Parkside Centre, which offers programs to those ages 50 and older and younger people with a disability, is preparing to reopen.
It’s been a difficult year and a half for the staff and members of the Parkside Centre. They’ve only been able to offer services online, but in a few short weeks, the doors will be open to seniors again.
“I know we have some very regular people who come in almost every day and I think a lot of those would have not ever taken a break,” said John Richer, manager of the Parkside Centre. “There’s a lot of people who are sort of at their end with the lockdowns and shutdowns and they really need more human contact.”
As a way to interact with members, staff created a virtual program called Without Walls.
“We offer our programs over the Internet through Zoom, or Facebook live or that sort of thing. We also have telephone-only options for people who don’t have computer access,” said Richer. “So, we have those programs going on weekly.
Richer said the virtual programs will still be an option once the centre reopens.
In the past year and a half, the centre said it has seen more than 1,300 people access the virtual programs. One of those members is Delores Higgins. She has been a member at the Parkside a Centre for more than two decades.
Higgins said when the pandemic initially hit, it was hard, but the virtual programs helped her and many others to avoid feeling isolated.
“It’s been a Godsend, and I say that on behalf of a lot of seniors that I’ve talked to, including myself, because we were so isolated and have been with the lockdowns, the openings, things closed forever it seems and it’s like a light at the end of the tunnel,” said Higgins.
One of the programs she has taken part in is called Coffee Talk.
“I could be talking to someone from Timmins, or from Garson and I may never meet them, but yet we’re talking like old friends and I think it’s very helpful and very healthy for us seniors that are sort of locked in,” she said.
The centre is set to reopen on Oct. 1 and everyone attending must be fully vaccinated.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NEW Life got in the way of one woman's reunion with her father, but a DNA test gained her a family
Anne Marie Cavner was the closest she'd ever been to meeting her biological father, but then life dealt her a blow. From an unexpected loss to a host of new relationships, a DNA test changed her life, and she doesn't regret a thing.
How quietly promised law changes in the 2024 federal budget could impact your day-to-day life
The 2024 federal budget released last week includes numerous big spending promises that have garnered headlines. But, tucked into the 416-page document are also series of smaller items, such as promising to amend the law regarding infant formula and to force banks to label government rebates, that you may have missed.
Which foods have the most plastics? You may be surprised
'How much plastic will you have for dinner, sir? And you, ma'am?' While that may seem like a line from a satirical skit on Saturday Night Live, research is showing it's much too close to reality.
opinion I've been a criminal attorney for decades. Here's what I think about the case against Trump
Joey Jackson, a criminal defence attorney and a legal analyst for CNN, outlines what he thinks about the criminal case against Donald Trump in the 'hush money trial.'
$3.8M home in B.C.'s Okanagan has steel shell for extra wildfire protection
A home in B.C.'s Okanagan that features a weathering steel shell designed to provide some protection against wildfires has been listed for sale at $3.8 million.
Diver pinned under water by an alligator figured he had choice. Lose his arm or lose his life
An alligator attacked a diver on April 15 as he surfaced from his dive, nearly out of air. His tank emptied with the gator's jaws crushing the arm he put up in defence.
Psychologist becomes first person in Peru to die by euthanasia after fighting in court for years
A Peruvian psychologist who suffered from an incurable disease that weakened her muscles and had her confined to her bed for several years, died by euthanasia, her lawyer said Monday, becoming the first person in the country to obtain the right to die with medical assistance.
Mystery surrounds giant custom Canucks jerseys worn by Lions Gate Bridge statues
The giant stone statues guarding the Lions Gate Bridge have been dressed in custom Vancouver Canucks jerseys as the NHL playoffs get underway.
Celebrity designer sentenced to 18 months in prison for smuggling crocodile handbags
A leading fashion designer whose accessories were used by celebrities from Britney Spears to the cast of the 'Sex and the City' TV series was sentenced Monday to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty in Miami federal court on charges of smuggling crocodile handbags from her native Colombia.