Many residents who rely on the programs at North Toronto Memorial Community Centre (NTMCC) are voicing their concerns about the potential 18-month closure for repairs, scheduled to begin in June 2017.

Helen Lepek, an active member of the centre located next to Eglinton Park, said it is not fair to the community or even people outside the area to lose their hub for more than a year and a half. She said the building is host to many services for seniors, as well as Toronto Rehab, which offers a program that helps people coping after strokes or who have multiple sclerosis (MS).

The community centre also offers a range of other programs, has a fitness centre and is home to many camps in the summer.

Beth Winderer lives next door to NTMCC. She said it’s the only centre in the area that has a pool. 

“Right now, I use the aquafit program because my mobility is not very good, so I rely on the pool to get exercise,” she said.

Lepek said the lack of communication and empathy from NTMCC and City of Toronto staff is unacceptable.

“This is more than a repair. It’s a closure,” she said.

On Dec. 7, Ward 16 councillor Christin Carmichael Greb held a public meeting to discuss some of the community’s concerns.

According to Carmichael Greb, the 23-year-old building is in need of a lot of invasive work, including air conditioning and furnace repair, and a new roof. “We are putting $8 to $9 million into the community centre,” she said.

The renovation will also include new change rooms and some updates to the gymnasium.

But the meeting did not address one of the most pressing concerns: will any of the local programs be relocated? And if so, where to?

“I know a lot of the residents who came to the meeting were expecting to see a list of where those locations would be, but it is still six months away from the scheduled closure,” said Carmichael Greb.

City of Toronto Parks, Forestry & Recreation is looking for alternative locations for as much programming as possible.

“People are not signing up for their programs right now, so there is time,” said Carmichael Greb. 

She said ideas discussed at the public meeting will be considered, including potentially moving the closure date until after this summer, if the budget allows for it. 

Lepek said she hopes the city will understand it’s not just a building, but a lifeline for many people in the community.