Square One’s Older Adult Centre is Closing
Published December 7, 2016 at 3:57 am
I mentioned in my piece about alternative locations for Studio 89 that the Square One Older Adults Centre (SOOAC) is planning to relocate from its current location across from the Goodlife at Square One by next year.
According to the city, Mississauga’s lease on the space used by the SOOAC expires in September 2017. The city and SOOAC staff have been working collaboratively on a plan to relocate the centre in advance of the lease expiry.
Budget Committee has approved a motion to authorize city staff to execute a lease agreement with Hillmond Investments (who manage the property at Central Parkway Mall) to accommodate the relocation of the SOOAC. The timing and cost of the relocation will be determined as the agreement is finalized.
It is important to stress that this space serves as more than just a ‘seniors centre’ as the name implies. I’ve frequented the SOOAC (which was established in 1992) on numerous occasions; it’s really a place where seniors can continue an active lifestyle. The SOOAC offers an array of over 80 weekly social, recreational, health and multicultural programs.
There’s a large hall that can fit a great number of people, spacious enough to conduct Tai Chi and ping pong tournaments, not to mention a fully functioning kitchen to prepare hot meals. As seniors are on a fixed income and living expenses seem to rise year after year, having a place like SOOAC is essential to maintaining Mississauga’s reputation as a caring and compassionate community.
One other unique trait is that the SOOAC shares their space with another non-profit organization called Open Door. Open Door is a city-wide, front line ministry outreach of the churches in Mississauga that has been operating since 1974.
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They offer a plethora of services, from counselling to providing supplies and food for the needy, and they take in some 21,000 visitors per year since they opened thier doors in 1992.
Some of my church friends and I regularly stop by Open Door once a month to help them sort clothing donations. We also peruse the nearby Walmart for supplies they’ve requested; sometimes it’s non-perishable food items, other times it’s toiletries. While they do have limited office hours, volunteers are regularly staffed at Open Door and you can take your donations there anytime.
So is Open Door moving to the Central Parkway Mall along with the SOOAC? According to Mississauga Recreation staff, Open Door is a separate organization from the SOOAC, and the city does not have any additional details pertaining to their lease with Oxford Properties. Insauga reached out to Open Door for a comment and they confirmed the information from Mississauga is accurate. They’re not aware of any need to re-locate at this time.
We will keep everyone abreast of these developments as more details come forward.
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