Skip to content

Dec. 2022: Seniors’ centre board president speaks out on program ‘misinformation’

Top Story for Lake Country
31297637_web1_221208-WIN-seniors-programs-_2
(Facebook/Lake Country BC ~ one community)

A person took to Facebook in early December stating everyone should be outraged over all programs being cancelled at Lake Country Seniors’ Centre.

Seniors’ centre board president David French said the information is “completely false” and issued a statement to clarify the situation:

There is a tremendous amount of dis- and misinformation being spread by some individuals on Facebook – because they are disgruntled over two activities that have been temporarily suspended.

They are the PrimeTime and Drop in Programs held Mondays and Wednesdays. These are two of many activities we offer. There will be several activities or programs added to our schedule in January.

When the Society’s new board was elected at the end of last May, it became evident quickly, there were issues and concerns with how these two activities were operated. There were meetings over the summer with those organizers to change those two activities.

The organizers repeatedly and vehemently refused any changes. They also refused to operate by the same rules everyone else in the society operates under (now some 500 members).

The issue came to a head October 10th when one of the organizers tested positive for Covid -19 in the room where the Primetime event was to be held that day. That happened about 20 minutes before vulnerable elderly seniors were to arrive by bus. The organizers had to be told to suspend that event despite a positive covid test. They also refused to accept the test result as it became evident. This was completely unacceptable and exhibited a complete lack of a standard of care in working with, in this case, elderly vulnerable individuals. It was also a complete lack of respect for people we are trying to serve.

Hence, these two activities were temporarily suspended because the organizers – the former president and two board members repeatedly refused to adhere to Food and Health and Safety and other guidelines, required to protect vulnerable seniors.

French wrote the centre hopes to host the PrimeTime and Drop in Programs again in the new year if they can find volunteers.

He also stated several offers have been made by the new board to meet publicly and privately with previous organizers of the suspended activities, all of which have been refused.