Fostering Fellowship, Friendship and Fun Among Perth Seniors
About who we are
Perth Seniors Fellowship operates the Perth Seniors Active Living Centre, offering area residents activities for seniors at McMartin House, 125 Gore Street East, Perth, Ontario, K7H 1J6. We strive to enrich the lives of seniors in our community through programs and activities that provide fellowship, friendship and fun while respecting the heritage of McMartin House. This page intends to inform the public and our members about who we are and our history.
We are incorporated under the Not-For-Profit Corporations Act (Ontario) and registered as a charity under the Income Tax Act (Canada) with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA).
About what charity means
As a charity our purposes must at all times remain exclusively charitable and we must carry on exclusively charitable activities that support those purposes. In addition, our purposes and activities must provide a measurable benefit to a significant section of the public. This means we cannot restrict our activities for the benefit of a a few individuals or one group or act as a private social club.
About our purposes / objects
As of September 8, 2015, with the approval of supplementary letters patent, our purposes are:
- To promote good fellowship among the citizens of Perth and District, and in particular the senior citizens of Perth and District;
- To include activities/events of a social, recreational or educational nature such as Rug Hooking, Knitting, Crocheting and other Crafts, Dancing, Exercise, Yoga, Card Games like Bridge and Euchre, Book Clubs, Stamp Collecting/Hobby Clubs and Friendship Clubs;
- To promote and provide activities and events for the senior citizens of Perth and District;
- To provide learning opportunities for our mature adult community such as opportunities to learn new Crafts or Hobbies, Dancing, how to play Bridge;
- To organise craft shows and social events for the citizens of Perth and District that will appeal to young and old;
- To maintain and establish a [Seniors Active Living Centre]; and
- To accept money from [the Crown in right of Ontario or the Crown in right of Canada], for any and all purposes including but not limited to the maintenance and operation of a Seniors Active Living Centre.
Our activities in furtherance of those purposes can be found on our Activities page.
Honourary Members
Perth Seniors Fellowship recognizes:
- Maxine McEachern,
- John McCluskey
- the late Keith Buchanan,
- the late Mary Bowrin,
- the late Gus Quattrocchi,
- the late Judy Burns, and
- late late Helena Hardy
as honourary members.
A brief about our history
Perth Seniors Fellowship is devoted to enriching the lives of seniors in our community through programs and activities that provide fellowship, friendship and fun while respecting the heritage of McMartin House. This is an overview about who we are, our history and new developments.
From 1974 to the present, Perth Seniors Fellowship developed and offered activities and events within McMartin House that “are of interest to the Citizens of Perth and District, and in particular to the senior citizens of Perth and District.” Activities for seniors have included Bridge, Euchre, Scrabble and other board games, Rug Hooking and other crafts, Social (and craft learning) groups like the Friendship Club, Book Clubs, Stamp Clubs, Exercise groups, Line Dancing and Scottish Dancing groups.
According to our records, we began as an informal organization named The NEW HORIZONS Senior Craft Fellowship, Perth and District, named after the federal New Horizons for Seniors funding program, early in the 1970’s.
On November 22nd, 1974, as recorded in its letters patent issued under the Corporations Act, Part III, Perth and District Seniors Craft Fellowship (P&DSCF) was formally recognized as a registered corporation and charity under provincial law with the principal objective of “promoting good fellowship among the Citizens of Perth and District, and in particular the senior citizens of Perth and District.” Associated objectives included promotion of the “learning of crafts” and of social and learning “activities”.
In early 1975, McMartin House opened as a Historic Site and P&DSCF began offering activities on the premises.
Starting September of 1975, the Province of Ontario recognized P&DSCF as a Corporation approved by the Ministry of Community and Social Services of the Province of Ontario to operate the McMartin House as an Elderly Persons Centre under the Elderly Persons Centre Act with financial responsibility shared by the Province, the Town of Perth and the fellowship, 50, 20 and 30%, respectively. (See the last paragraph, below, to read about the legislation that has replaced this act).
Four years later, on March 21st, 1978, on the authority of the Honourable Larry Grossman, the Ontario Minister of Consumer and Commercial Relations, P&DSCF was granted Supplementary Letters Patent which confirmed its authority “To maintain and establish an Elderly Persons’ Centre” and added the following clause:
- To accept money from Her Majesty The Queen either in right of the Dominion of Canada or in right of the Province of Ontario, for any and all purposes including but not limited to the maintenance and operation of an Elderly Persons’ Centre.
We also offer a number of events of interest to the wider community. Our Annual Open House is held every July, in conjunction with “Doors Open Ontario”. Each December we offer the “Nick of Time Craft Show’, an event that features over 20 of the area’s most skilled artisans in a high quality, juried art and craft show which brings in hundreds of visitors.
On November 18th, 2011, the wording (but not the thrust) of our Mission Statement was revised to read as follows:
Serving social, intellectual and recreational needs of our mature adult community while preserving the heritage of McMartin House.
P&DSCF celebrated 40 years of service to Perth and District’s senior citizens in November 2014.
In September of 2015, the Province of Ontario approved changes in Letters Patent changing our name to PERTH SENIORS FELLOWSHIP and clarifying and simplifying our objectives as a corporation and registered charity. Our revised objectives are listed under the OBJECTIVES TAB on this web site.
New governing laws
Effective October 15th, 2017, new Ontario Legislation, entitled the Seniors Active Living Centres Act, 2017, came into effect. A copy of the new legislation can be accessed here. Perth Seniors Fellowship now manages the Perth Seniors Active Living Centre, and our previous name (Perth Seniors Elder Persons Centre) is retired.
As of October 18, 2024, the three year transition period that commenced when the the Ontario Not-For-Profit Corporations Act (ONCA) came into force on October 19, 2021, replacing the Corporations Act, Part III, for for all not-for-profit corporations incorporated under the provisions of that Act which do not carry on the business of an insurance company. ONCA is thus now in full force for the Perth Seniors Fellowship.
As a charity we also remain governed by the Public Guardian and Trustee, Charities Program and the Canada Revenue Agency, Charity Directorate. Changes in charity law also mean that we have to keep up with the times or risk losing our charity status.
New developments and changes ahead
Vivian Buchanan, after 33 years with us, former Executive Director and Comptroller has retired. She working diligently to ensure that McMartin House has its financial affairs in order, is clean and well maintained, and meets the logistical needs of the activities and events offered. Brian Henderson, former President and Chair of the Board of Directors, has also retired after providing dependable leadership and guidance for the last 15 years. We are grateful to Vivian and to Brian for their services.
The Perth Seniors Fellowship will be continuing to operate the Perth Seniors Active Living Centre under new leadership and management starting April 2025. We are updating policies and bringing new programs to the Fellowship in the upcoming months.
If you have any suggestions, please email us or fill out our feedback form available in the kitchen (it can be dropped through the office mail slot). If you wish to have more involvement and join one of our committees and/or the board, please contact us.
On September 18, 2025, Perth Seniors Fellowship’s Board approved the following new mission statement: