If you’re a senior in the city, there’s a club that you really should know about. It offers a place to hang out, to do interesting and fun things, get help with some problems, and a whole lot more. What’s more: you don’t technically have to be a senior to be a member.
It’s called the St. Albert 50+ Club. It used to be called the seniors’ slub, or more formally the senior citizens’ centre, but its management wants to promote the concept that seniors aren’t necessarily old. Just like its name suggests, anyone 50 and older can join.
“We are trying to grow the club to a new level with a new direction,” explained Val Niblock, who isn’t just the executive director. She’s also been a loyal member for several years, along with her husband, since they both retired. “We joined for the same reason that a lot of people joined. It’s a social club. Also, I felt it was a club where you could help the older members if you came in as a younger member.”
“We really needed to change the name for a number of reasons. First of all, there’s a whole new demographic in St. Albert of 50-plus people who are starting to prepare for retirement. We want to attract that demographic and help them.”
She said that being of that certain age also brings with it other concerns involving finance and legal matters such as wills and estates. These people should also take their personal and social lives into regard as well, she continued.
“You’re in good shape financially … but also, more importantly, what are you going to do after you retire? How are you going to fill those 16-hour days that you used to fill with work?”
At the same time, she reinforced how she and the club are completely supportive of the older seniors.
“I absolutely honour our 65-plus members,” Niblock said. “They are the founders of this club and they’re the people that we’re really focused around.”
There are numerous things to do through the spacious club that has 1,000 sq m of functional area, including its sizable backyard “on two acres of land.” You can get involved in exercise and sports with all kinds of classes including dance, aerobics, yoga, cardio, strength training, tai chi and more.
You could also develop your creative self in the woodshop or with art classes, ceramics instruction, and a sewing circle. There are games such as pool, darts, bridge, floor curling, bingo, cribbage and other card games.
There’s a commercial kitchen that serves lunch every day. The club also operates the city’s Meals on Wheels program.
Then there are the outreach and day programs that can help seniors with a whole host of personal and social issues like motor skills and memory loss, to gaining access to community services dealing with financial assistance, housing, transportation or elder abuse. A lawyer stops in regularly to offer free legal advice. It has a wheelchair lift-equipped bus that can take you anywhere around the city for $4 a trip.
“We’re one of the best kept secrets in St. Albert,” Niblock added.
All of these are available to anyone who can put up the reasonable membership fee of $55 per year. Non-members are also welcome, too. They can stop in for the social lunches or the monthly happy hours.
The club is also represented on the Seniors Working Group, a committee of organizations that are interested and invested in making life better for the city’s seniors. Anyone who has a seniors-related issue can contact either of the two co-chairs. Pat Phelan (representing the Community Information and Volunteer Centre) can be reached [email protected] or Lori Jack (representing the St. Albert and Sturgeon Primary Care Network) can be reached at [email protected].
To learn more about the club and its programs and services, anyone can call 780-459-0433 or visit www.stalbert50plus.com. The club is located at 7 Taché Street, at the end of the cul-de-sac with the St. Albert Curling Club and the Royal Canadian Legion.
Gazette series focuses on issues for older citizens.
