With Family Day weekend about the start, local residents are gearing up for a weekend full of special activities at Timmins’ various community centres.
One such event is the Connaught Community Association (CCA)’s 31 Days Till Spring Smorgasbord taking place Feb. 17 at 5 p.m. at the Connaught Community Centre.
Such events are not as few and far between as one might think for residents of Connaught, a rural neighbourhood 30 minutes from downtown Timmins.
The CCA is organized by a dedicated group of volunteers who operate out of the Connaught Community Centre. The building is owned by the City of Timmins, but the CCA manages and maintains it all on their own.
“The association takes full responsibility for the hall,” says CCA president Linda Lefort. “We maintain it through fundraising and collecting money from hall rentals and events.”
Connaught was one of several communities amalgamated into the City of Timmins back in the 1970s. Though the neighbourhood is small, its community association is one of the most consistently active across the city.
“We have an exercise club for women, a card club, darts tournaments, dinners, dances and various activities for kids throughout the year,” says CCA secretary Michelle Myers.
Lefort says the CCA is especially proud of their success in building a playground at the Connaught Community Centre in 2016, which she says they were able to do without having to request funds from City Council.
Lefort says it was a “real community effort” with in-kind donations of services and supplies by many companies, including Gorf, Custom Concrete, Parker Equipment, and Home Depot.
“We also put $35,000 cash into that playground,” says Lefort.
The cash was fundraised from the community and helped them buy various playground equipment, including swings, slides, teeter-totters, a play centre, and much more.
“It’s really an impressive park,” says Lefort. “And knowing it was a community effort makes it even more amazing.”
Samantha Fortier has lived in Connaught most of her life and takes her own children to the Connaught Community Centre playground and events.
“From the time I was a child, the CCA has always had many events that is geared for all my family members,” says Fortier. “The park is a great place for my kids to go play and have fun. They offer events for all the holidays for the kids and have gatherings for the adults. It’s a great way to get out and meet people in the community.”
Meeting people is precisely the goal for Lefort.
“There's so many people that have moved and changed and I want to see them meet each other," says Lefort. "I love my community and I want to see it grow.”
City of Timmins Mayor Steve Black appreciates the work of the CCA.
“The Connaught Community Association is led by a spectacular group of volunteers whom strives to contribute positively to the quality of life in that area,” says Black. “They have done a tremendous job within their group of hosting family events, improving infrastructure and fundraising to do so.”
Black says the work of the CCA could be a good example for other community members interested in keeping local facilities open.
“It's always beneficial to have members of the community take such a proactive and substantial role in a facility,” says Black. “When there is a primary user group that fundraises to offset costs and carry out maintenance it enhances the sustainability model.”
Lefort says it’s always hard work to garner community involvement, but that leading by example helps, especially when cultivating the next generation of volunteers.
"They see that you’re invested in it, and it makes them want to invest in their community, too,” says Lefort. “We get a lot of help from young people. They work hard."
