Because it’s much more than just a building.
We've Applied for the Ontario Trillium Foundation Capital Grant
We have applied for a Capital Grant for approximately $200,000 to help with the renovations required to turn our building into a seniors centre and an artists' hub. The grant would help cover a heat pump system, insulation and repairs to the stair lift for accessibility. The budget includes a billiard table! We are working with Belanger Salach Architects and our plans are to start construction by October.
You can help us help seniors on Manitoulin! The Ontario Trillium Foundation looks at social media to decide whether our programs are worthy of funding. The seniors program we started in January at the Sparrow's Nest will continue through the summer, by popular demand! The goal is to move all our seniors programs to the Old School, and also to expand our offerings. We need to know what you liked and what else you would like, to show on our social media. If we have lots of positive comments, we'll have a better chance of being able to offer more!
Please let us know what you liked and what else you would like to see! We will share your thoughts and that will help to show community support for seniors, it will also help us create more programs that seniors really want. We believe seniors here deserve more support to live independently, and that is a gap we want to fill. Email us at: mindemoyaoldschool@gmail.com
There are many ways to
donate. Click here to find out:
Join our Seniors Programs
FOMOS and the Municipality of Central Manitoulin are collaborating on a series of workshops, exercise classes and Drop-in afternoons for seniors. Details below!
Chair Yoga and Easy Yoga
Tuesdays
-
Chair Yoga - 1 - 1:45 p.m.
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Gentle Yoga - 2 - 3 pm
At the Mindemoya Community Centre.
Register ahead at the Municipality:
705-377-5726
DROP-IN THURSDAYS 2026
From 1 PM - 3 PM once a month
at the Providence Bay Community Centre
Dates: July 23, August 20, September 17, October 15, November 12, December 10
Tea, coffee & snacks available. No registration required -- just show up for a chat or to play games.
For the Knowledge Sharing Sessions schedule and registration information, please refer to the Central Manitoulin website under Events.
2026
Our Second
Old Walls New Dreams
50-50 Lottery
For our organization FOMOS, the Mindemoya Old School is much more than just another building to be torn down. The Mindemoya school was one of Ontario’s very first consolidated schools and played a pivotal role in developing the very fabric of what we all love about Manitoulin Island.
FOMOS is on a mission to reinvent and celebrate this historical building and it's community for its second 100 years moving forward.
This building was built in 1922 and the brick laid was meant to stand the test of time. Its life as a school may be over but there are now endless possibilities for this strongly constructed, beautiful old building. We hope you will help us in preserving this special part of Central Manitoulin’s history!
Friends of the Mindemoya Old School (FOMOS)’ mission is to renovate, retrofit and repurpose this historical building as an accessible senior centre and year-round hub for artists and artisans. On the main level, local artists and artisans will create, display and sell their work in a centrally-located hub in downtown Mindemoya. It will boost the incomes of the local artistic community, especially women and Indigenous artists; fill a void in support for older adults; boost tourism, adding to the economic activity on Manitoulin Island; help to address the climate crisis by showcasing green technologies; and provide ongoing jobs in maintenance and programming. Revenue from rents in the artists’ hub will largely sustain the operations.
FOMOS has identified the need for facilities and programs to create an Age-Friendly Community, and to that end, we are planning and will establish a Senior centre. It will be inclusive, equitable, holistic, and integrated into the bigger picture of community programs over the long term. The senior centre will support the elderly in living independently allowing them to age in place in their own community. It will provide a common area to socialize and create a sense of belonging, combating isolation; and to engage in games, fitness and wellness activities. The nearest seniors’ centre is 45 kilometres away. The project will not only provide jobs in the construction phase, but it will also benefit the community.