By Lawrence Powell
Spectator
NovaNewsNow.com
Lifeplex Wellness Centre will close its doors March 21. If it re-opens, Annapolis County is hoping it will be as a YMCA. The only certainty is that the Basin Wellness Society won’t be running the facility.
“It’s not going to go back,” Warden Peter Newton said Friday in reference to the wellness society that conceived the wellness centre idea and has operated the Cornwallis facility to date. “They had their opportunity and it didn’t work. The YMCA has the expertise and knowledge base to do this.”
Newton was quick to acknowledge the hard work by the Basin Wellness Society, but noted that its revenues for February were $10,000 and its expenses were $26,000.
“That’s obviously not sustainable,” he said, “They’ve done great things but they haven’t been able to generate the revenues.”
County CAO Brenda Orchard said the wellness society had recently indicated it had funds to keep going to the middle of April, but she said Lifeplex members would be entitled to refunds for the unused portion of their memberships so the March 21 date was selected.
In a letter to county residents, Newton said county council has come to terms with the reality that the current governance model under Basin Wellness Society is not sustainable.
“Currently, about 40 per cent of the county’s recreation and culture budget is spent on this one building with approximately 600 members from Annapolis County,” Newton said. “In this year’s budget, the county will spend $330,000 in mortgage payments and will have to absorb approximately $250,000 in accumulated debt from the society.”
He said the county is in negotiations with the YMCA.
“This well-known organization is looking forward to providing community-based services from this state-of-the-art wellness facility,” he said. “The Y is an international organization that is well-known for providing programs for all ages and all economic levels. The Y will be conducting a membership feasibility study in the catchment area. This will be done by way of phone survey.”
Newston said the community can help ensure the continued operations of the wellness facility by being supportive of the Y’s initiative.
“I believe personally it is time for all directors and members of the society to promote and assist in any way they can the coming of the YMCA to Lifeplex,” said Brian McConnell, chair of the Basin Wellness Society. “I will be doing this at every opportunity as well as discouraging negative activities and comments.”
Newton said during the transition, the commercial portion of the Lifeplex building will continue to operate and residents will have access to the physiotherapy facilities.
“While we want to do everything we can to encourage the YMCA to come to Annapolis County, we are also realistic that the Y will only come to our community if we are open and supportive of their efforts,” Newton said in the letter.
“We encourage you to support the Y and respond to their survey so they have good information to work with to develop their business plan.”
The warden said it will likely be May before the Y completes its due diligence and signs a contract with the County of Annapolis, and he encouraged residents to check for updates on the transition at www.lifeplexinfo.ca.
