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TOGO — Togo's Silver Thread Community Centre is at risk of closing its doors after more than 50 years, as dwindling attendance and rising costs leave the volunteer-run facility struggling to stay afloat.

Meagan Strauss, spokesperson for the Togo Silver Thread Community Centre, says they are a not-for-profit organization run by a volunteer board of directors. Their struggles have compounded over the years, starting with pandemic-prescribed restrictions.

“We get a lot of people questioning us now on what necessitated the plea for support. The reality is that we just haven’t had the patronage lately. The pandemic changed everything. One major and notable change that we can all appreciate is the economy,” says Strauss.

While the volunteer board says everyone was quick to come out of lockdown and support them, eager to see each other again in a social and group setting, as the dust settled, facts were facts. Groceries, cost of living, gasoline, carbon taxes, property taxes and everything else required to operate and maintain a community centre have risen.

“We saw so many people in 2022 and 2023, but in 2024 we saw literally half as many. Suppers that once boasted attendance levels of 100 plus people suddenly only brought in 55. Daily we were lucky to see a dozen. I think people started to hunker down and make budget cuts,” said Strauss.

The volunteer board said they are tucked away in their little corner, so it’s difficult to bring in people from outside the community without extensive efforts. The group put up posters in Roblin and Kamsack, promoted on social media and made other efforts.

Strauss acknowledges, “The biggest issue of concern right now, and the reason that we , is that without the patronage we haven’t been covering our monthly expenses, and we are falling behind. We have tried to weather the storm the best we can, but at this stage we recognize the need to ask for help. Without the help, plain and simple, we have no choice but to close our doors.”

If the Togo Silver Thread Community Centre is forced to close its doors, the ripple effect will be felt: the post office and Purolator drop-off will also close. There will no longer be a restaurant or summer barbecues, nor bingos or community parties. Closure would mean one less venue for meetings, parties and events.

“is to cover operating costs while we are going through this lull. A fantastic ripple effect of having started this fundraiser is that it has begun to raise awareness in our community of where we are at, and how important our community is in keeping our community centre open.”

The board makes financial decisions and organizes maintenance and repairs. The Togo Silver Thread Community Centre has a manager who co-ordinates menus and activities with input from the board and staff. During the week, one staff member operates the facility, runs the post office, and cooks meals.

History of Togo Silver Thread Community Centre spans more than 50 years

This community centre has been around for more than five decades. Many changes have been seen both to the hall and to the community around it. The community centre has always been a self-supporting establishment.

“In 1971, the recreation co-ordinator from Yorkton had contacted some of our senior citizens in Togo and informed them of a federal grant to help with drop-in centres. After many meetings, a group was formed, a grant was received from New Horizons, and with the grant and a great deal of volunteer help, the Silver Thread Drop-In Centre was born. It was a member and seniors’ facility where a person could purchase coffee, tea and other beverages, as well as light lunches like soups and sandwiches, and socialize. They had card parties, shuffleboard tournaments, raffles, bingos, teas, etc.,” says Strauss.

Various other organizations, like the Elks, used the facility at that time, and people rented it for birthday parties and other social events. All membership dues and sales made at the centre went back into the centre to cover operating costs, repairs and maintenance, as well as community events. When the centre started, the Togo community had more people living there.

The village at one time boasted five grain elevators, implement dealers, grocery stores, gas stations and restaurants. It had a lot going for it. Over time, the village shrank, as did the community. There was no longer a family for every quarter. The elevators were all slowly closed and taken down. Most commerce in the village followed suit. And as the town evolved, so did the drop-in centre. Memberships were ended in favour of community inclusion.

Another evolution followed

“When the Togo Post Office was about to close, we took it in and kept it open. We expanded our menu to include full meals and started weekly supper specials and Sunday brunch buffets, etc., while still offering community Christmas parties, bingos, rentals, etc. And with these changes, we have been able to maintain support and keep our centre open,” says Strauss.

Strauss also states, “We haven’t been seeing people that aren’t on the board attend meetings in quite some time, which sort of leads to a disconnect between the community and our community centre. Since we started this , we have received some much-needed donations, we have seen an influx of patronage, and we’ve begun seeing a higher level of participation in our community, both with people coming into meetings to offer suggestions as well as people volunteering time to help with events.”