South Pickering Senior Citizens Club

Came here to register for the municipal election

Lots of fun, wonderful people

Very nice place with very friendly people.

My kind of club...love it.

Love this club, have made lots of friends and enjoy the activities that is offered.

I am a retired lawyer living in Pickering. I am not of the Christian faith. I joined the Club four years ago when I moved to Pickering because they have dancing which is my hobby, and the Club's Constitution says its a secular club. But numerous members of the Club, including the President Ed Fry, have told me and keep telling me that I am not welcome in this Club. The President and other Club Executives claim that the Board overruled the Human Rights Code and changed the Club into a Christian Club! They are very upset with me because I am trying to enforce the Ontario Human Rights Code and make the Club welcome everybody regardless of religion, race, etc., and remove religion from the Club altogether as per the Club's own rules and the law. It has not been legal for over 50 years for social and recreational clubs in Canada, whether private or public, to exclude persons of any particular religion, creed, race, color, disability, etc. I am over 55 years old and reside in Pickering and therefore entitled to be a member of this publicly funded Club. In addition to the religious discrimination, I have tried to address racism and homophobia at the Club by reporting incidents of bigoted language and behaviour at the Club in accordance with the Club's own harassment policy. When I tried to ask questions at members meetings, the President let the members of the Club boo and hiss and scream at me and reduce me to tears and he publicly told me that I don't fit in and that I should find another club. Discrimination is the most serious problem with the Club and I would give it zero stars if I could because of it. The Board members need a basic civics lesson and sensitivity training. They don't understand or respect minority rights. They believe and openly advocate that majority rule applies to religion! As do many members. They mistakenly believe they have the power to overrule the law. In fact, trampling on minority rights is the opposite of democracy. Members of minorities like me are protected by our laws from the majority. But not at SPSC. And furthermore, the President and Director of Finance of the Club are husband and wife. And the Board will not allow me to ask any questions publicly about the finances of the Club (or anything else). Even though I used to lead a nonprofit legal aid clinic in Toronto for five years, and have another ten years of experience as a volunteer Board member for other non profit organizations, as well as acting as counsel for other non profit groups over the years. Update: The Club was forced by public opinion during the 2018 Pickering civic election to stop reciting The Lord's Prayer, and has retaliated by cancelling my membership in the Club.