Crowe said it began to be a problem as people left or passed away and were not replaced on the board. The coming of COVID three years ago made the problems more acute, as there was little they could do there for a long time. A lack of volunteers for the board was an issue that did not seem to be going away.
“We couldn’t go that way anymore, so we’re going this way. We tried to get people to serve on the board for a few years, but we couldn’t.”
For the last couple of years, the Community Centre, a hall in the basement of the building was rented out to Wright’s Auction Services, which was very helpful to the situation, although it could not continue indefinitely as that was not what the centre was meant for.
Beckoning Hills President Tom Campbell said there was a lack of board members coming forward for the Community Centre, and that it was Crowe that was keeping it afloat for the last several years.
“He’s done a good job of doing that,” Campbell stated, “but it just had to change. It just became a necessity to do it.”
The Community Centre and Activity Club had their beginnings in 1977. The building that houses them was the old Boissevain, Morton and Minto Memorial Hospital. Once a new health centre was born, the old hospital was moved, in two parts, to its current location on South Railway Street by Smitty the Mover. The Community Centre was a hall rented out to different groups in the community and housed a number of activities over the years like bingo, funeral lunches, dances, dinners and public meetings. Upstairs, the activity club was formed. It housed snooker tables and its own kitchen and became a place for members to gather, play games, and was rented to members of the community for smaller events like birthday parties and the like.
Campbell said both the activity club and the centre received $15,000 in grants to help with the COVID situation as neither could hold major events or fundraisers. It helped, but everyone is happy to be running again.
Treasurer Vince Gibb said there are benefits to running both ends of the building by one board. The financials will be all in one, which makes sense. They will be using the Boissevain Community Centre Inc. name, which is recognizable. His hopes are they can grow the use of the entire building together.
“For me, it is about bringing back what the building was designed for, which is serving the community”, Gibb explained. “Now we can all work in the same direction.”
“It’s just kind of streamlined now,” Campbell added. “We can work together to bring it back to where it was.”
Rentals for either part of the facility will be done similarly to the past, separately as needed, just handled by the same people.
The activity club has had its own challenges, as shown by memberships. In the history book Beckoning Hills Revisited; it says the club had a membership of 240 people in 1980. Gibb remembers there being over 100 members when he first arrived 20 years ago. Right now, they are just over 30. Garry Zeiler, who will be taking over as president of the new entity in February, said they used to have dinners in the club that drew over 100 people. Now they are lucky to get 30 or 40.
At this point, there are enough people for the board. However, they would not say no to more volunteers. As Gibb said, they are open to ideas for activities, and have heard from some people who would like to see some specific things, but they need volunteers to help do them. Campbell added having people along who are good at certain elements, like applying for grants, is a plus.
Traditionally, in the upstairs area, they have hosted a number of different events. Card tournaments, like cribbage and 500 were popular, and the snooker games rarely end. The tournaments on the tables happen five or six times a year draw players from all around the area. The most recent one held on Tuesday, January 17, brought in over $400.00 for the club. They have a lunch once a month now, and they would like to hold suppers again at some point. Returning to the pre-COVID schedules of bridge, dominos and other games would be the goal.
To help with this, they would like to increase their membership. Despite what many believe, Activity Club membership has never been for seniors only. It is open to everyone 35 and over. Membership is based on how much you use the facility, either $70.00 or $100.00 per annum. Campbell joked there are a couple of members who definitely get their money’s worth out of the snooker tables.
As Gibb said, many potential members are still working. To help with this, they would like to accommodate more activities in the evening. Once you purchase your membership, you are not only a member in the morning and afternoon, but all of the time.
They are hoping by 2024 to do a little renovation work, such as re-carpeting the lobbies and improving the handicapped access.
The second meeting of the new Boissevain Community Centre Inc. will be the general meeting on February 14, and they are inviting everyone to attend.
The feeling was no one wanted either entity to die, but like anything else in our communities, they need help, either with memberships or volunteers. The hopes are high they can keep a rental space available to Boissevain, and activities running to give everyone interesting interactions. Crowe himself might be stepping down from his old role, but will be continuing to return to his old haunt.
“My wife and I have been members for 47 years,” he said. “Why quit now?”

by PAUL RAYNER, Recorder staff