Community club avoids chopping block for now

A community club in Winnipeg's Elmwood neighbourhood received a 60-day reprieve Wednesday from being closed for good, much to the relief of residents who fought the club's closure.

Winnipeg city council voted Wednesday to delay a decision on Kelvin Community Club's slated closure. It had been declared surplus in the city's plan to amalgamate clubs and other recreation facilities under the 2004Public Use Facilities Study.

In response, nearly 600 people signed a petition to keep the club open. Regan Wolfrom, a spokesman for a group of concerned residents, said Wednesday that many single-parent families in the neighbourhood cannot afford to go anywhere else but Kelvin.

"A lot of it falls down to walking distance and how, once again, the highest-need residents are the ones who are going to be left out," he said.

Wolfrom admitted that the club has had problems attracting support in the past, but noted that the success of a drop-in centre this summer speaks volumes some 30 children showed up at the centre every day.

MLA wades into debate

NDP MLA Jim Maloway, who represents Elmwood residents, said Wednesday that Mayor Sam Katz had promised last year not to force any community clubs to close.

"The timing couldn't be better from our perspective," Maloway said, referring to the Oct. 25 civic election in which Katz is seeking a second term as mayor.

"There are dozens of other community clubs out there that are in marginally better shape than Kelvin is that maybe face closure."

Katz had some advice of his own for the MLA.

"I think Jim Maloway should do his homework before he meddles in the interests of city hall, because he knows not what he says," he said.

City council has now delayed its decision on the club's future until after the civic election. Katz said he will take another look at the club's status.

Wolfrom said activities such as family skates and crafts programs are still planned for the fall, at least for now.

"Our biggest concern is we're creating programming that the community obviously has needed for years," he said.

"So if we're meeting those needs and we're making plans, but at any point we could get a padlock on the door, in which case allof our participants will have to go home."