JASON SETNYK
After more than three decades of providing lifelong learning opportunities for older adults, the Encore Seniors’ Education Centre in Cornwall will be closing.
Members voted at a special meeting May 28 to approve the dissolution of the non-profit organization after ongoing financial challenges left the board unable to continue operations. The motion passed with 24 members voting in favour and seven opposed, meeting the required two-thirds majority.
Located at 800 Twelfth Street East, Encore has offered non-credit courses, workshops, and presentations for adults 50 and older, covering topics such as history, arts, technology, health, writing, and other areas of interest. The organization also served as a social hub, giving seniors opportunities to meet new people, share ideas, and stay connected.
Encore President Linda Mercer said the decision followed years of efforts to find sustainable funding and rebuild participation following the COVID-19 pandemic.
“However, no matter how fulfilling our presentations have been, we still have not returned to the number of participants pre-COVID,” said Mercer. “We have many new members, but many have died or are not able to come back.”
Encore was founded in 1994 at St. Lawrence College, where it received financial, administrative, and classroom support. In 2015, the college ended that support, requiring Encore to operate independently. Since then, successive boards have worked to secure funding through grants, fundraising, donations, and partnerships.
The organization received short-term support from the City of Cornwall, including $30,000 per year for three years following an appeal to council in 2023. Encore also worked with a fundraising consultant in 2024 to approach foundations and corporations interested in supporting senior and adult education. The effort resulted in two grants totalling $15,000 for outreach and equipment but did not secure ongoing operational funding.
“The Board has sought out sustainable operational funding without success,” stated the motion approved by the board before being brought to members. “Our current financial forecast suggests that we will soon become insolvent, and the Board has a legal responsibility to meet the financial obligations of Encore.”
The board explained that if programming continued into the fall without stable funding, Encore risked being unable to meet commitments including employee obligations, rent, telephone, and internet expenses.
Volunteer challenges also affected the organization. Fundraising efforts such as bingo events, which ran from 2016 to 2023, helped support operations for years. In Encore’s strongest bingo fundraising year, the activity generated $15,000, while a typical successful year brought in nearly $10,000. However, a decline in available volunteers made continuing those activities difficult. “We do not have enough volunteers to raise funds as in the bingo, yard sales, or more than one dinner night in a year,” said Mercer. “Funds are needed for wages, rent, communication, and printing.”
Despite the challenges, Mercer highlighted a final year filled with diverse educational opportunities. Encore’s September 2025 open house welcomed more than 50 people, including returning members and new participants. Programs explored topics ranging from French kings, the Black Death, the Inquisition, and the Hundred Years’ War to local Cornwall history, museums, sports, environmental topics, artificial intelligence, estate planning, astronomy, writing, and personal storytelling. The organization also invested grant funding into equipment, including a Smart Board, allowing some instruction to take place online with educators outside the region.
Mercer said health and wellness remained an important part of Encore’s programming, with presentations focused on maintaining strength, hearing health, and supporting seniors as they age. One of the year’s largest turnouts came for a presentation by Senator Bernadette Clement about her work, committees, and personal journey.
While several members at the meeting expressed frustration and sadness about Encore’s closure and discussed possible ways to save the organization, no one came forward to form a new board.
Board members had indicated they would remain only to oversee the dissolution process, citing years of service, health considerations, and the difficulty of finding replacements.
Mercer closed her remarks by thanking the individuals and organizations that supported Encore throughout its history. “I want to thank the City of Cornwall for helping us for three years as we tried to come back from the COVID pandemic,” said Mercer, also recognizing the Kinsmen Club, Chartwell, and longtime Encore supporters. “Thank you so, so much for the support from members that have been patrons of Encore now and over the years.”
The formal dissolution date will be determined as the board completes the required documentation and closure process.
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