The seniors want to stay put.

In a hotly contested decision in front of a packed room on May 10, the Jasper Seniors Association voted by almost a two-to-one margin to reject an offer from the municipality to move into the new wing of the library, choosing instead to remain at their current location at the Jasper Activity Centre.

By a 20-11 margin on a secret ballot, the seniors rejected a motion to move into the library’s new wing, which is currently set for development in three years time. The room would have been available to the seniors for a dollar a year (the same as their current rent), however the seniors would have had to take care of their own cleaning services.

The proposal was not popular with the majority of seniors.

“Everything in this room belongs to the seniors. We have our own kitchen, bathroom... I’m not understanding why we’d ever give up this room,” said senior Janet Barker. “Everything is here and convenient. Why would anyone think we’d like to move?”

The decision brought out a large number of seniors. Regular meetings tend to attract a dozen regulars, however twice as many members showed up for the vote.

Chairwoman of the Senior’s association Mary Hilworth kept discussion moving, as both sides articulated the pros and cons of the proposed move.

The seniors association sent several questions to library director Judy Krefting, demanding answers about the size of the new room, technology, washroom and kitchen access, caretaking and access for the handicapped. In a letter to the association, Krefting offered few concrete answers, only assurances the room would be at least the same size of the senior’s current home and a promise the seniors would have a member sit on the design board for the library expansion if they chose to participate.

However the decision was not popular with all attendants. A smattering of heated exchanges fuelled discussion and proponents of the move were upset.

“We’ve made an egregious error here. This is a decision we’ll regret,” said Harry Home after the vote. “This is the option to move into a heritage building and I’m pleased the municipal government has given us first dibs. It’s head and shoulders above what we have here.”

Many others expressed concern they weren’t given enough time to make the decision. Mayor Richard Ireland discussed the proposal with the seniors last month, who were asked to make a decision by May 12.

Councillor Gloria Kongsrud was in attendance to help explain portions of the proposal. She said four groups are interested in the space to lease, and she believed many of the senior’s concerns would be addressed in the new home, which she said would include a private room and bathroom, plus the opportunity to rent an adjacent multi-purpose room for larger events. 

“It was considered the seniors would be a fit for the room,” Coun. Kongsrud said.

While proponents of the move saw the multipurpose room as an opportunity, opponents said they could simply rent the multi-purpose room if they had an event large enough, such as a potluck dinner.

Hilworth said she thought the vote was the end of discussion on the matter and didn’t anticipate the senior’s association looking at the proposal again.