Members play table tennis at the Veiner Centre, which reopened this week after being closed since March due to COVID-19. (CHAT News Photo/Ross Lavigne)

By Chris Brown

Back in business

First week back exciting for Veiner Centre staff, members

Nov 13, 2020 | 3:12 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – The day that many seniors in the community have been waiting for finally arrived on Monday.

The Veiner Centre reopened after being closed for eight months due to COVID-19.

“It’s very exciting to be open and provide service to seniors in our community. I think that’s very important,’ said Aaron Nelson, manager of community connections and support for the City of Medicine Hat. “Isolation is a big one. We’ve all kind of experienced that collective trauma of COVID and shutdown and this is a way that we can have a place where seniors can pursue the activities that are important to them.”

Nelson added it’s vital for seniors to have a place that supports their health and wellness, something the Veiner Centre has been doing for 45 years and Nelson says they’ll do long into the future.

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Sam Montoya, a member for about five years, says the reopening is really important to him. He says he was able to make due in the summer with outdoor pursuits such as golf, slowpitch and cycling. But he wanted to be indoors before winter.

“There’s all sorts of things you can do in the summer. But winter is harder and so it’s really, really, important to have a few activities like this that you can count on coming to,” he said.

Activities and hours are limited for the time being. The centre is only open 9 a .m.-3 p.m. Monday to Friday and the only activities permitted are those that allow for physical distancing. The bistro is only open 10 a.m.-2 p.m. for drinks and fitness classes will begin next week.

Nelson said usage has been “appropriate” this first week.

“We opened during the blizzard so that wasn’t ideal but many of the groups have seen folks come back, some in higher numbers than others,” he said. “Many groups have had to manage their numbers within each group so they don’t have too many people come at once. But it seems pretty good so far.”

Health measures are in place so things can stay that way.

People must sign in each visit in case contact tracing is needed, staff are wearing masks and they are encouraged for members and there is enhanced cleaning of touchpoints happening.

Montoya says he hopes COVID numbers in Medicine Hat will stay low and the city won’t have to shut down the Veiner Centre again.

“You don’t realize what you have until its gone,” he said over laughter and cheers from the table tennis games in the next room. “It’s super important to have that.”

Stay up to date with how the reopening progresses at the Veiner Centre’s new Facebook page.