The City of Martensville recently announced that children’s health services have moved from the Martensville Baptist Church to the Martensville Civic Centre.
The Child Health Clinic, run by the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA), provides immunizations along with general development, nutrition, and health information. The Clinic will be open two to three days a week. Speech Language Pathology services are also provided by the SHA one day per week at the Civic Centre. Both services are being run out of Room #2, but in January, 2022, both will move to Room #4.
North Network Director of Primary Health Care, Dylan Chipperfield, welcomes the news.
“The demand for services at Child Health Clinic has definitely grown in Martensville and in this region,” said Chipperfield. “Having a fixed space at the Civic Centre will allow for better, more efficient access to services, for both residents and the staff that work there.”
In addition, after leaving the Civic Centre due to COVID-19, the Martensville Free Pantry is now back at the Civic Centre operating out of Room #2. Volunteer and lead for the Free Pantry Deseri Adrian is thankful to be back at the Civic Centre with a larger dedicated space where people can drop off donations, volunteers can receive and stage donations, and clients can receive hampers or bread.
Adrian said that prior to the pandemic, a hallway space with cupboards was sufficient.
“With the pandemic we saw an increased need for individuals and families to need the Pantry more often, even entire hampers, on a regular basis,” said Adrian.
The Free Pantry already has plans to grow into a larger space in the new year to pursue fundraising and food drive opportunities. They appreciate the City of Martensville offering of the space for these needed community services.
“We have appreciated the City’s co-operation on the Free Pantry initiative ever since the pantry started out here,” said Adrian. “This renewed support to help the Pantry grow as the needs of the community change is so wonderful.”
Services at the Civic Centre now include:
• Child Health Clinic and Speech Language Pathology (currently Room #4 but moving to Room #2 in January)
• Martensville Free Pantry (currently in Room #2 but moving to Room #4 in January)
• Wheatland Library
• Puddle Jumpers Preschool
• Great Plains College
All programs and services located at the Civic Centre are following current COVID-19 guidelines.
Great Plains College opened space in the Civic Centre in 2019 and added more space in 2020. It runs the Agricultural Science Certificate Program, Pre-12 and Adult Basic Education, Essential Skills for Newcomers (Early Childhood Education and Continuing Care Assistant).
In the community’s early days, the Martensville Civic Centre served as a primary school. With the services being offered there now, it will once again become a hub of activity for residents.
Martensville Mayor Kent Muench welcomes the changes he has seen at the Civic Centre over his tenure.
“It’s great to see the Civic Centre so busy, and especially to see that the space is being used to provide much needed services that are aimed at health, wellness and education,” said Muench.
On behalf of everyone at the City of Martensville, Muench welcomes the SHA and the Free Pantry back to the Civic Centre.
“We hope the services offered in this space make a positive difference in our community,” he said. “I know the community will rally around these great initiatives.”