Tecumseh council approves relocation of Golden Age Club

The Golden Age Club on Lanoue Street in Tecumseh, Ont., on Tuesday, March 28, 2023. (Michelle Maluske/CTV News Windsor)

The Town of Tecumseh has agreed to waive fees and accommodate programs for the Golden Age Club to relocate to the St. Clair Beach Community Centre.

Council voted in favour of relocating the club to the centre at 13731 St. Gregory’s Road during Tuesday night’s council meeting.

The Golden Age Club’s former location, a municipally-owned building on Lanoue Street where the club had been operating for the last 50 years, will be used as a temporary location for the Cada Library as it undergoes renovations.

“In accommodating the Golden Age Club at the St. Clair Beach Community Centre, the Town is able to accommodate the Club’s existing schedule for programs and activities,” said Mayor Gary McNamara. “Recognizing timelines and logistics, the Town of Tecumseh will also assist the Golden Age Club to move and install necessary equipment and supplies at the St. Clair Beach Community Centre at no cost.”

The Golden Age Club was told in March it had four weeks to pack-up their belongings and vacate its home. Members of the club were irate after being forced to move on short notice, noting an apparent lack of parking and consultation at the new location.

Club president Dara Pfiefer O’Connor told AM800 she’s worried about losing members.

“It's not a responsible amount of time to reconstruct our club, and in order to keep it sustainable for the future, we don't know how long the library's occupation of the building will actually be,” she said. “We do not know how our program and membership will be impacted by this."

Pfeifer O’Connor told AM800 members felt upset by the way they were treated by Town council.

"We are all overwhelmed, and frankly deserve better. The issue is not working with town staff, the issue is Tecumseh town council allowing us to be treated in a dismay way."

A memo from the Town said the club will be relocated for about one year as of May 1 while renovations are underway. The Town will then prepare a contract from the club for the term of the relocation period ad will not charge a fee during that time.

The club’s current programs and activities will be fully accommodated, without charge for the duration of the relocation.

The Town said it also reviewed concerns raised by club members about accessibility and parking at the St. Clair Beach Community Centre, but no issues were identified and “ensured that parking, including accessibly parking, is sufficient.”

"They made every effort to make sure that every aspect, every aspect of it except for the address, but every aspect of it is there,” McNamara told AM800. “It's there for the seniors to take advantage of and we're going to continue to work."

The Town said it will consult with the club over the next year to understand its programming plans and space requirements.

- With files from AM800 News