Athabasca & District Senior Citizens Society

Athabasca & District Senior Citizens Society
August 2026 Newsletter

Connection • Community • Participation

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We always look forward to welcoming members and guests to gather, participate, and continue building the strong sense of community that makes our Seniors Centre such a special place.

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Your new Executive has been working over the summer to ensure that we are ready for fall activities to start up. We met for the first time as the new Board on August 13. We are extremely grateful to Mary Beaucage for taking on the position of Treasurer, and to Larry Armfelt (3-yr term), Janice Green (2-yr term), and Severna Bosik (1-yr term) for joining us as Directors-at-Large.

Exercise classes, Bridge, and Canasta have continued throughout the summer with great attendance. Start dates for floor curling, yoga, and pool will be announced in September. If you have ideas for other activities you would like to see offered by the Society, please let us know.

Two major purchases will be made for the Centre in coming weeks.

• Our office computer is outdated, meaning we can no longer upgrade security patches. A new system will be ordered within the next few weeks.
• New floor curling equipment will be purchased so we don’t have to use the Colinton Seniors’ equipment.

We are looking for volunteers!

• We have booked a tentative date of Oct 2 for a fall supper. Last year our profit from the roast beef supper was close to $5000. We need two or three people willing to work together to organize this year’s supper. The main tasks are bargain shopping for the groceries and organizing volunteers. The previous organizers are willing to provide guidance and past documentation but are unable to commit to organizing this year’s supper.
• The Centre had a very thorough cleaning last year during and after painting and renovations, but it’s time for another cleaning to keep the place fresh. We are planning a work bee on Friday, September 11 from 1:00-4:00. We will put up sign-up sheets at exercise classes and cards, but if you don’t attend either of those and would like to help, please contact Bonnie Rabin at 780-327-9721.
• We are looking for someone to take over as one of the three breakfast leads. We will work with you until you are comfortable in the position.
• A number of duties are required to keep the kitchen operating. We need volunteers to take on one or all of the following. We rely on volunteers to keep the Centre operational.
  • Occasional purchasing of kitchen supplies (not including breakfast or supper groceries). This would require someone to check the list in the kitchen for items like coffee, wrap and bags, utensils, etc.
  • Cleaning the oven when necessary
  • Ensuring kitchen counters are clean, coffee pots are rinse, coolers and fridge are clean, recyclable items are in appropriate bins
  • Picking up aprons and towels after rentals, taking them home and returning them clean and folded

Centre Closures

• October 12 (Thanksgiving)
• The September 7 Exercise Class has been cancelled.

• Elections Alberta Referendum advance voting will be held on October 13-17, election day is October 19, and October 20 will be vote counting. ALL regularly scheduled activities are cancelled on these dates.

  
  

  Anyone interested in employment opportunities should see the Elections Alberta website at https://www.elections.ab.ca/jobs/

Weekly Activities

• Bingo: 1st, 3rd, and 5th Monday of each month (doors open at 5:30 p.m. and Bingo starts at 7:00 p.m.)
• Exercise Classes: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday 11:00–11:45 a.m.; Note: Exercise class will not be held on Friday, June 5, due to a special Seniors Week event held at the Seniors Centre.
• Floor Curling: 2nd Monday of the month 1:00–3:30 p.m., Note: The last class was held on May 11 and will resume in the fall (date to be announced).
• Bridge/Canasta: Tuesday 1:00–4:00 p.m.
• Line Dancing: Wednesday 1:30–3:00 p.m.; Note: Last class was held on April 28 and will resume in September (date to be announced).
• Art Classes: Every other Thursday 1:00–3:30 p.m.; Note:: The final class will be held on May 28.
• Restorative Yoga: Thursday 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.; Note: Last class was held on May 14 and will resume in September (date to be determined).
• Snooker: Held in the Billiard’s Room every other Wednesday, 1:00 p.m. and every Saturday, 1:00 p.m. (members only). Note: There will be no Snooker held in July and August, regular activity will resume on Wednesday, September 3 and Saturday, September 5.

Our next pancake breakfast is on Tuesday, August 25 at 7:30-10:00 a.m.

Lastly, we received a number of questions and concerns related to the unauthorized use of the Society’s membership list in June. The Board takes this offence very seriously and has conveyed this to the individuals involved. We will propose a new by-law at our AGM in February that will address this issue.

As always, the Board is always open to hearing from you. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us at atsenior@telus.net or leave a message at 780-675-2982.

Kathy Ponto, President
Bonnie Rabin, Vice President
Mary Beaucage, Treasurer
Cammy Peden, Secretary

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“Together we create a welcoming community where
friendships grow, laughter is shared, and everyone belongs.”