The Fraserwood Hall will be lowering the costs of its public dances thanks to a grant received from the federal government.
Kathleen Melnychuk, who is vice president of the Fraserwood Hall board and is responsible for grant-writing duties, said the hall received a generous grant of $19,500 from the federal government’s New Horizons for Senior Program, and the money is going towards the hall’s monthly seniors’ dance to keep people active and engaged.
“The board and our volunteers are extremely grateful for being selected as a recipient of this New Horizons grant through Employment and Social Development Canada,” said Melnychuk.
The hall’s board held a celebration last Sunday afternoon during its regularly scheduled dance to thank the federal government for the grant, which will allow it to lower the admission cost of the old-time dance from $20 to $15. The admission helps cover the costs of a live band and a lunch.
The hall typically sees anywhere between 50 and 70 people stepping out for an afternoon of dancing and socializing. Depending on the time of the year, that can increase to 100 people.
And the hall board wants to see even more seniors and others taking part in an afternoon of fun, food and some fancy footwork.
“Our old-time dances are a really great opportunity for seniors to engage with others. They get people out socializing and allow them to have more physical exercise. Some people also just want to volunteer at the dances,” said Melnychuk. “We have a live band and serve a meal half way through the dance. The dancing is something seniors enjoy and I’m sure it brings back fond memories of going to dances when they were younger.”
Melnychuk said there’s a dance circuit in the Interlake where seniors can attend old-time dances. They’ll go to different communities, which offer dances on different days.
Fraserwood Hall holds its old-time dance on the second Sunday of the month, and the board sees seniors coming from Arborg, Gimli, Teulon and other towns. Some just come to visit with others or to listen to the music. And lots of people get decked out in their Sunday best, with “beautiful dresses and dress shoes and their hair done up like they’re going to a wedding,” said Melnychuk.
In addition to encouraging more seniors to come dancing, the hall board would love to see younger people trip the light fantastic and perhaps end up meeting someone destined to become the love of their life.
“A dance at Crabby Steve’s Dance Hall outside Komarno is where my grandparents met each other,” said Melnychuk. “Back in old days it was normal for people to go dancing. We want to continue offering people that opportunity to come to a Sunday dance.”
Because she’s part of the hall board, Melnychuk said she helps out at the hall’s dances and is amazed by the participants’ skill on the dance floor.
“It’s so great when the music starts and everyone gets up and goes to the dance floor. It’s the best thing I’ve ever seen, and everyone can dance really well, doing the polka or doing a seven-step dance,” she said. “I was bartending and one of the gentlemen asked me to dance. I gave him fair warning that I’m of a different generation and I don’t know how to do the seven-step. But he said, ‘Oh don’t worry, it’ll be fine,’ and he was cracking jokes the whole time. Oh my gosh, it was great and it was just such wholesome fun. I really got a kick out of it.”
Selkirk-Interlake-Eastman MP James Bezan congratulated the Fraserwood Hall board and volunteers for taking the initiative to lower the cost of social events for seniors and become a successful applicant of the New Horizons for Seniors Program.
“The Fraserwood Hall, also known as the Ukrainian National Peoples’ Home of Taras Shevchenko, is a great venue for community events including their monthly old-time seniors’ dances,” said Bezan. “I am pleased to see this funding used to help reduce admission costs for seniors and community members. I thank the Fraserwood Hall board and their dedicated volunteers for all they do to bring a sense of community and fun for everyone in our region.”
The old-time dance at the Fraserwood Hall is held on the second Sunday of the month from 1-5 p.m. The hall is wheelchair accessible. The federal grant money for the lower admission fee of $15 will last until March 2025.
Upcoming dances are scheduled for Sunday, July 14 and Sunday, Aug. 11. For more information about the dances or to reserve tickets, call Lois at (204) 643-5541 or Nancy at (204) 861-0098. A schedule of monthly events is available on the hall’s website.
