Parkfield Restaurant closes … for now

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Parkfield Restaurant is currently not serving meals, as the Community Living Chatham-Kent restaurant is closed for at least four months at the urging of the provincial government. CLCK officials say the Ministry of Community and Social Services wants organizations such as CLCK to move away from sheltered work and towards alternative programming.
Parkfield Restaurant is currently not serving meals, as the Community Living Chatham-Kent restaurant is closed for at least four months at the urging of the provincial government. CLCK officials say the Ministry of Community and Social Services wants organizations such as CLCK to move away from sheltered work and towards alternative programming.

Tasty sandwiches and humongous desserts are off the menu these days at Parkfield Restaurant in Chatham.

In fact, everything’s off the menu, as the restaurant closed indefinitely earlier this month at the request of the provincial government.

Community Living Chatham-Kent (CLCK) runs the popular restaurant. The organization and its various day programs are all funded by the Ministry of Community and Social Services.

According to a memo from Ron Coristine, executive director of CLCK, to day program participants and families, the ministry contacted CLCK last fall to direct them to move away from sheltered work and towards alternative programming.

Coristine said CLCK has consulted with members and their family, as well as experts in the field, to explore options for maintaining programming elements that are known to be valuable to the people CKLC supports.

The information, gathered through interviews, meetings and a survey, would be used to determine what comes next.

One result from the feedback was to close the Parkfield for a minimum of four months as CLCK officials look at how they can maintain services in one form or another, Coristine said.

The space inside the restaurant will still be open for use by CLCK members, and it will be used to provide activities while the industrial department undergoes renovations.

Coristine said members will still go to the same location for the same number of hours.

He added there will be fun social, recreational and educational activities provided.

Zumba, volunteering, excursions into the community and support for those interested in finding other employment opportunities could all be added as well.

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