Antibes named a priority centre

[attach]6294[/attach]It was a hard-fought win for the residents of Bathurst and Finch.

After months of pleas from the community and several rounds of budget wrangling, council last month named Antibes Community Centre a priority centre.

Seniors, children and youth should be able to access the majority of recreational and aquatic programs at the North York centre free of charge, as of Sept. 4.

Community members are thrilled with the centre’s new status.

Longtime community volunteer Maureen Simpson visited city hall on multiple occasions pleading with officials to consider Antibes for the designation. It’s needed more than ever, she says, as the programming was simply out of reach for many seniors, youth and children.

“Demographics changed, and when demographics change you realize, ‘oh dear something has to be done,’ ” Simpson said.

Councillor James Pasternak said the community centre’s designation — the sole one in his York Centre ward — has been a long time coming.

The cluster of high-rise apartment buildings and semi-detached homes that encircle the community centre are home to many low-income seniors and a large immigrant population who can’t afford the fees, he said.

“This will provide unfettered access to a lot of the key programs that will be offered at Antibes,” Pasternak said.

Opened in 1999, Antibes Community Centre is located in Westminster-Branson, one of the city’s 13 designated Priority Neighbourhoods.

The community centre is well-used, with 5,000 people participating in registered programs annually.

The process of obtaining a rental permit at Antibes will remain relatively unchanged, as many non-profit, children and youth and groups that partner with the city are already exempt from many rental fees.

City staff are planning to hold an open house in September to inform the community about the fee changes, registration and programming.