THUNDER BAY — The proposed closure of the Jumbo Gardens Recreation Centre had left some long-time users of the city-owned facility extremely worried about their organization's future.
But as a result of a last-minute decision by city council Monday night, the Thunder Bay Weavers and Spinners Guild has won a reprieve until at least next December.
Formed 63 years ago, the not-for-profit group has rented the lower level of the recreation centre on Toivo Street since 2005, currently paying $300 a month.
During budget deliberations, the majority of council initially decided that in view of the struggle to keep tax increases down, they couldn't justify keeping the Jumbo Gardens building open because of its relatively low usage.
A program and service review found that it's one of the city's least-used community centres, with the upper level occupied about 4.5 hours a week by occasional user groups.
However, the city did not track hours of usage in the lower level by the weavers and spinners group, whose members are in the facility on a regular basis throughout the year.
Shutting the rec centre down could save operating and capital costs estimated at $75,000 a year, though councillors noted Monday that will depend on either finding another entity to lease the building, or demolishing it at cost to the city.
Weavers and Spinners Guild vice-president Natalie Pohjolainen said closing it on such short notice would leave the 60-member guild in jeopardy of being destroyed because it has nowhere else to go where there's room for its 10-foot-wide loom, several large floor looms, half a dozen spinning wheels and extensive library collection.
The rec centre is used regularly for workshops and for weekly and monthly meetings.
"We have a drop-in on Mondays, and we teach classes. We have open studio time for members. We currently have 12 to 15 different looms for weaving, and they're available during studio time for members to weave projects on," Pohjolainen explained. "On average we have 12 to 15 people show up every week."
She said it took years for the group to find a suitable building within its meagre budget, and it's unlikely to find another location.
"Admittedly, we do have quite a bit of equipment here, but it's not for storage. It is for use. We've run every weekend this year. We are incredibly active."
During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Pohjolainen said, group activities everywhere had to be curtailed, so the long-time members of the guild as well as newcomers were anxious to get back together and share their passion for weaving and spinning.
She herself teaches spinning, and currently has a wait list with 25 names on it.
"There's a whole new community of people in fibre arts that never were before," she said. "There's great potential to grow the guild significantly."
Pohjolainen added that the closure of the Jumbo Gardens Recreation Centre would affect more than just the members of the guild.
"The city has no idea [of] the reach that it unobtrusively has within the community," she said. "We do a lot of work with outreach and volunteering individually. People hear about a need and they step up
"We provide so many things behind the scenes that people don't even realize. It would be devastating if we lost this guild."
Coun. Albert Aiello, who represents the McIntyre ward where the facility is located, argued Monday night against the closure in May, saying that with more promotion it could attract more users, especially in the summer.
"There's a user group that uses it permanently in the basement ... A lot of councillors have no idea what's going on there, but there's activity going on there constantly," he said.
After a wide-ranging discussion — during which council was told that the city is arguably subsidizing the guild — councillors approved an amendment to the budget Monday night proposed by Coun. Mark Bentz to keep the facility open through December.
He said this gives the group more notice while providing the city with time to explore all options before determining the rec centre's future next year.
The facility can't be sold because it's located on city parkland.
