Federated Co-operatives Limited has partnered with Lakeshore Regional Wellness Commission (LRWC) on Ashern’s new wellness centre.
LRWC ramped up their fundraising with a capital campaign with the wellness centre nearing completion. That campaign garnered interest from Co-op Community Spaces, and the local project was one of 14 funded projects across Canada this year.
Federated Co-op entered the partnership with a $50,000 grant for the wellness centre and naming rights for the walking track. With this large donation, LRWC vice president Scott Cameron said they’ll likely be able to open the facility this fall.
LRWC has developed what was formerly the Ashern curling rink into a wellness centre. The $1 million project will add a walking track, a pickleball court, a shuffle court, a gym, meeting rooms, a sauna, and more to the community. LRWC was formed when Ashern lost the curling rink. The plan was to turn the then-empty space into a wellness centre. The group’s mission has since evolved, with their goal now being to create a space that supports well-being in every way.
The new wellness centre has accessible concrete ramps to the entrances of each level of the three-tier building and accessible washrooms on the ice surface and upstairs so everyone can use the washroom no matter where they are in the facility.
The basement was redone entirely, including gender-neutral washrooms, private changing spaces, lockers, and meeting spaces. Now that the plumbing is done and the walls are framed, all that’s left in the basement is flooring, paint, light fixtures, and finishing touches.
The upstairs level is almost complete, with the field house needing flooring and a few finishing touches. The court is done and ready for use by pickleball players, shuffleboarders, basketball players, and more. Cameron said that until the lines are on the floor, they’ll tape the court lines down for each activity. There are also spaces for yoga, weight lifting, fitness, dance, archery, virtual golf, gymnastics, meditation, reading, board games, video games, musical events, and more.
The new wellness centre is around $200,000 away from being fully operational, and LRWC hopes to have a soft opening this fall while they add the building’s finishing touches.
“This Co-op grant is going to play a big role in that,” said Cameron. “The $50,000 will go a long way.”
LRWC’s capital campaign continues to raise the remaining funds needed for the project. Cameron said asking for such large sums of money can be difficult, but it’s all for the good of the community and everyone within it. He’s hoping the Co-op grant will spark a fire under businesses and individuals able to donate. Naming rights for all aspects of the facility (barring the walking track) are also up for grabs.
“It’s a great facility and anyone was in the rink before then now is just blown away,” he said. “They don’t recognize the place.”
Also contributing to the wellness centre is a $272,000 grant from Building Sustainable Communities, a $95,000 Enabling Accessibility grant, a $1,700 Interlake-Eastern Regional Health Authority (IERHA) grant, a $5,000 Community Futures grant, an $14,253 Efficiency Manitoba grant.
“We’re so close and we’re so excited to get people in there,” said Cameron. “We’re really working on wellness as a community in all the different aspects. We’re keeping our foot on the gas.”
