Golden Valley Community Centre plans to renovate with donated funds from Federated Co-op.
On Wednesday, residents of the County of Vermilion River were surprised by the announcement of a $26,000 donation by Vice President of Lloydminster and District Co-op Leanne Hawes. The money is provided by Co-op’s Community Spaces Program that invests in community projects across Western Canada.
President of Golden Valley Community Association Kerry Flewell says the money couldn’t come at a better time as they try to keep up with the buildings needs.
“We were broken into in January and we have to replace a door and we have to do maintenance. The siding needs to be done up and we want to close it in and insulate it better because the power bills are so high we just have electric heat in there. We’re just trying to preserve the heritage that goes a long with this building.”
The 26 year old building will also see a ball diamond, a horseshoe pits and a sandbox built as part of the renovations.
This year 24 organizations will receive a total of $2 million from the program spread across 24 communities. Hawes says it means a lot to see a community in the Lloydminster area receiving the funds.
“They are the fabric of who we are. We are a member driven organization and to come out into a community and see the neighbour relations and the connections that people make with their families, it’s truly what we are built on.”
Flewell says the community centre is there for the residents when they need something. It also host various activities, including pot lucks, Christmas concerts and funerals.