The McQuay Tannery Seniors Resource Centre in Owen Sound is set to incorporate.
Following in the footsteps of the Festival of Northern Lights — the centre wants to incorporate so it will be eligible for grants not currently available to it as simply an arm of the city.
Centre Co-chairs Sharon McKeachnie and Donelda Stewart have asked City Council for a five year lease between its future board of directors and the city.
Council agreed to the request.
McKeachnie says the centre has wanted to hire a staff person with a job creation grant through the city, but it has yet to be approved.
The centre is hoping to apply for another grant that will enable it to buy equipment to help it deliver the programs it intends to develop.
That in itself will be a big change.
Currently it’s technically a seniors resource centre, meaning its only role is to deliver information on already existing programs.
The goal is to be a full-fledged seniors centre, which will enable it to develop and deliver its own programs.
The building, located next to the Harry Lumley Bayshore Community Centre, has its limitations.
It’s smaller than the centre officials would like and there are no amenities like kitchen facilities.
But it’s being well used, and they’re happy to have it.
