CHAT News File Photo

By Chris Brown

back together

Veiner Centre to reopen on Monday

Jul 9, 2021 | 4:25 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – The doors at the Veiner Centre have been closed all year. That changes on Monday.

“We’re really looking forward to having people back and having an ability for them to connect with one another,” says Shantel Ottenbreit, community resource worker with the City of Medicine Hat.

“I know it’s been a long year and a half of not being able to see their friends and a lot of changes have happened for many of our seniors. I know it might different coming back together there might be people who aren’t with us any longer but it’s going to be a really nice opportunity for them to be able to connect again and feel that I guess friendship and have activities to do.”

She says when they started contacting users and activity co-ordinators, everyone was excited by the news.

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“They’ve really been prepping this last week to get ready for their activities to start this Monday,” she says.

Ottenbreit estimates there are about 20 groups ready to go in the first week and there will also be drop-in opportunities.

Measures are in place to allow people to space out a little more and there will be masks available for anyone who wants to still wear one, says Ottenbreit.

There are a few other changes due to temporarily scaled down staff.

Operating hours are reduced from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and lunch won’t be offered at this time.

“We’re just going to be providing coffee for people as well as the meals on wheels program will continue to run the whole time,” says Ottenbreit.

Click here to see an interim summer schedule for the Veiner Centre.

The Strathcona Centre will remain closed for the time being.

In February, city council voted to hand over operations of the Veiner and Strathcona Centres to Kerby Assembly. The group will assume partial operations of both on Aug. 3 with the transition is expected to be complete by fall.