By Mike Anderson
Residents at Keswick Gardens, a 120-unit seniors apartment building run by Housing York Inc. (HYI), may have to forgo their annual sit-down Christmas dinner again this year.
“They’re not very happy; they look forward to the Christmas dinner,” said Jean Harper, President of the building’s Friendship Club Committee.
“People are just basically staying in their apartments. It’s been very isolating. A lot of the tenants that we’d see almost every day, we don’t see them anymore.”
Last Christmas, Harper, a widow herself, and her committee members, tried to raise everyone’s spirits, hand-delivering meals to each apartment.
But delivering meals to 120-units is no easy task for volunteers, most of whom are in their 70s and 80s.
“We had Sammy’s Chicken Coop cater it. They brought each meal in a container, and we delivered it to every apartment,” she said.
“But I’m not sure we’ll do that this year because it was a lot of work.”
Harper and her fellow committee members would prefer to host the Christmas dinner at the Keswick Adult Day Program, run by York Region and a tenant of Keswick Gardens since 1999.
They hosted the dinner there for 17 years before the pandemic, without any issues.
“It’s bigger, and it will accommodate everything,” Harper said.
“We have 120 apartments in here, and not everybody attends, but we always plan for between 80 to 90 people.”
Harper says volunteers used to set up the tables and do all the clean-up.
“We always tried to put the tables right back exactly where they were, and we never had a problem.”
The Adult Day Program also provides easy access for those with mobility issues.
It has a door that connects to the hallway, providing people using wheelchairs and walkers protection from the elements.
And Harper points out the space is not used in the evenings, so there’s no conflict.
However, York Region says the residents can’t use the space due to COVID-19 concerns, even though most are now double vaccinated.
“The health and safety of our clients, caregivers, and staff remains our top priority. Out of an abundance of caution for our clients, the Adult Day Program space remains closed to public use,” said a spokesperson from the Region in an email to The Post.
And because the Adult Day Program is a tenant, the Region says it has the right to refuse residents access to the space.
“The Adult Day Program operates in the commercial space at Keswick Gardens. The commercial space is not part of the resident amenities,” the spokesperson said.
Instead, the Region suggests residents use their kitchen and activity room or book an event space in the community.
Harper says both options are not possible.
“With social distancing, you can’t put hardly anybody in our activity room,” she said. “It’s too small; maybe we might be able to accommodate 16 people.”
“And I don’t think going out of the building would work for us. We have people in here that don’t go out. And it’s too difficult to transport everyone.”
Harper hopes the Region will have a change of heart, but she’s not holding her breath.
“I’d just like to see things go back to normal,” she said.
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