Kamloops Community Seniors Centre (image credit - CFJC Today)

By Michael Reeve

SENIORS FUNDING

Build Kamloops recommends $200,000 for upgrades at Kamloops Seniors Community Centre

Jul 10, 2025 | 4:52 PM

KAMLOOPS — It was the first Build Kamloops project to open, and now the seniors centre at the Cottonwood Manor is hoping an $200,000 investment from the Build Kamloops Select Committee will help improve services.

“It’s fantastic news for us today obviously. That money is going to go towards making this a more accessible place for the community we serve, so we are very fortunate,” said CSI Executive Director Brandi Allen.

Since opening in September, the facility operated by the Centre for Seniors Information (CSI) has only grown in programing hours and participants.

“They have seen an increase in the last six months, the first six months of this year, to an increase of 216 programing hours, and then over 1,000 weekly participants, so it is phenomenal,” said Sherri Holmes, Sport, Recreation and Wellness Manager at the City of Kamloops.

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Upgrades to the space, include a new fire wall to allow the kitchen to operate on site. Currently the centre for seniors information is cooking off-site and transporting it.

“One of the challenges with that space is that is does have a kitchen, however it no longer meets code because it required a firewall with Moose Lodge on onside and then the seniors centre on the other. We now require a fire separation there and it also doesn’t have proper ventilation that is needed to have that as a functioning kitchen,” added Holmes.

The commercial kitchen will also allow CSI expand some of their existing services to new levels.

“That is one of the areas we are going to be able to expand on, is our take-and-bake meal program, where we sell frozen meals to the community to support seniors programing,” said Allen. “But it also gives us an opportunity to expand that, we currently do luncheons and banquets and different types of parties here where we have outside caterers coming in. So being able to do some of that stuff in house is going to keep the costs down for seniors.”

The funding from council will also go towards improving accessibility near the entrance, and creating a new office space.

“Some additional lighting, some grab bars, there is currently no push paddle for an automatic door opener, so there is a few things that need to be done,” said Allen. “This place was pretty turn-key ready when we showed up which was wonderful, but just over the year we have noticed a few deficiencies that need to be updated”

Committee also allotted $5,000 for snow clearing. Council will still need to approve the funding recommendation from committee at an upcoming meeting.