There was an emotional moment on Tuesday, at the official opening of the Stewart and Betty Fisher Community Room, in Innisfil's new Rizzardo Health & Wellness Centre.
It happened when former Mayor Stewart Fisher paid special tribute to his wife.
“I think of my wife Betty and her contributions to this community,” said Fisher, who with his family pledged $70,000 to help make the community room a reality. He spoke of her long-time commitment and fundraising for the Canadian Cancer Society.
“Sometimes I think she organized things better than I did,” he said.
Fisher, first elected Mayor of Innisfil in 1991, joked that he had planned to donate what he had earned as mayor to the new Rizzardo centre - but considering what politicians were paid back then, “It took six years to make enough to make it worthwhile.”
Current Mayor Lynn Dollin welcomed Fisher and members of his family to the Rizzardo Centre for the ribbon cutting.
“I met Stewart 25 years ago, when I was first elected as councillor. He was my first mayor,” said Dollin, thanking the family for their contributions, “so people will always remember Betty and Stewart Fisher.”
She noted that the community room on the second floor of the centre is already in use. The newly-formed Innisfil Community Foundation planned to use the space on Tuesday evening to discuss how to ake the community a better place. Leisure and Recreation services, Matthew’s House Hospice and Kerry’s Place for children with autism have all booked the community room for their programs.
“This is going to be such an integral part of this building. This is a fully-functioning community space,” said Dollin, that will help bring services to Innisfil that have never been offered in the municipality before - services that residents formerly had to travel outside the Town to access.
“We got tired of being the place in-between,” she said. The community room, and the Rizzardo centre, are “bringing the community together, so we can all connect and engage.”
Fisher, who also attended the hard hat tour of the building back in March, thanked everyone for coming out to celebrate the opening - and expressed a hope that he will be able to attend next year's grand opening of the entire facility.
The Rizzardo Centre is still under construction, with work continuing on areas that include the Hordynsky Community Kitchen. The grand opening is scheduled for some time in 2020.
“That’s when everything will be open," said Dollin, "as long as the sheet metal workers don’t go on strike again.”
