A farewell event is being planned as part of this fall’s closure of Centennial Community Centre.
With demolition of the community centre expected to begin in November, planning is underway to relocate programs to other venues in the city. The last day of programs and services at the facility will be Friday, Nov. 3 and a farewell event is being planned for Sunday, Nov. 5.
City staff recently updated council about the status of the $114.6-million təməsew̓ txʷ Aquatic and Community Centre, which is expected to have a soft opening in May 2024 and a grand opening on June 3.
To address the gap between the time Centennial Community Centre closes in November and the new facility opens in May 2024, staff have been developing a work plan that addresses “the disruption” of programs at community centre, said a report to council
“Staff will make every effort to relocate core programs to other locations in the city,” said the staff report. “Spaces are being considered in both civic and non-civic facilities.”
Here’s where Centennial Community Centre programs will be heading when the building closes:
- Group fitness classes – Century House and Queensborough Community Centre
- Cycle classes – Queen’s Park rose garden’s boardroom
- All-ages dance – Century House, Queensborough Community Centre, Centennial Lodge, Massey Theatre and Herbert Spencer Elementary School
- Music – Anvil Centre
- Preschool (Discovery Playtime) – Century House and Queensborough Community Centre
- Cooking – Queensborough Community Centre
- Arts – Century House, Queensborough Community Centre and Queen’s Park Arena
- Science – Queensborough Community Centre
- All-ages sports – Queensborough Community Centre
Corrinne Garrett, the city’s senior manager of recreation services and facilities, said the city will be informing the public about the relocation plan for programs offered at Centennial Community Centre.
“We have been able to accommodate every program,” she told council. “We are still working on two specialty programs that have specialty equipment that we have not been able to secure a location for.”
Garrett said the city is still working “really hard” to find locations for groups offering judo and capoeira at the community centre.
“So, now that this information has been made public, we will be sitting down and talking to the preschool applicants,” Garrett added. “We have moved the preschool just up to the top of the hill and we have utilized the days that the preschool was not being used at Century House, so we are utilizing that space.”
As part of the planning for the closure of Centennial Community Centre in November, the city has tried to find locations that support each program’s requirements, such as the need for space, storage and equipment, as well as staff to support those programs. It’s also considered the need to secure locations for two weeks of spring break day camps in March 2024
“Those big core programs – like spring break camps and the programs that we use as an alternative to (child) care – will still be taking place in that core hub,” Garrett said, “because we know that transportation is sometimes an issue.”
