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The 'Pavilion at Heritage Park' -
- The 'Pavilion at Heritage Park'
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Heritage Park: Pavilion and Community Centre -
- Heritage Park: Pavilion and Community Centre
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Stony Plain, AB – The Town of Stony Plain is about to officially fling open the doors of its newest public venue, the impressive 21,000-square-foot ‘Pavilion at Heritage Park,’ which sits on the site of the former Toby Kazeil Pavilion.
A public ribbon-cutting celebration is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Friday, Nov.18, as part of the Tri-Community Health & Wellness Foundation’s 10th annual Festival of Trees.
“Our new pavilion is both beautiful and functional,” said Ken Lemke, mayor of Stony Plain. “We wanted a building that accurately reflects our community, and I believe this design complements our heritage well. This much-needed facility is a tremendous benefit to our town and will certainly receive a great deal of use.”
The $5.18 million facility – Phase II of the Heritage Park Revitalization Project, a three-phase initiative that the Town officially launched in 2009 – has been designed in a way that preserves and enhances Stony Plain’s heritage, so it best serves the community and acts as a regional, year-round destination that fuels the local economy by attracting and retaining business and tourism.
"Our Government is proud to have supported the Stony Plain Heritage Park expansion and renewal project," said the Honourable Rona Ambrose. "This investment will help stimulate the local economy and create a stronger, healthier community."
The Town launched Phase II in early 2010, which included a thorough public consultation process. Funding for Phases I and II of the Heritage Park Revitalization Project has been sourced from all three governments: the Canada-Alberta Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund (CAMRIF) contributed $2,454,396, while the Town covered the balance, a significant amount coming from the Municipal Sustainability Initiative – a provincial grant the Town receives, which “provides significant long-term funding to enhance municipal sustainability and to enable municipalities to meet the demands of growth” (Source: Alberta Municipal Affairs).
“The new pavilion is a versatile facility that will serve a broad range of community needs, events and opportunities,” said Fred Lindsay, MLA for Stony Plain. “It will benefit the community and improve the quality of life of residents for years to come. Alberta is pleased to continue to work in co-operation with the federal government on shared funding programs for Alberta communities.”
The Town retained the services of Edmonton-based Arndt Tkalcic Bengert Architects to create the design, which Council approved last Fall. Site preparation commenced in February; construction, in March. The pavilion builds on significant enhancements to the Park grounds (Phase I); completed in November 2009, improvements include:
- an all-weather spectator gathering area;
- an improved and expanded parking surface;
- a fully, brightly-lit parking lot;
- a walking trail from the park site to the Heritage Museum site;
- additional picnic sites;
- an enlarged rodeo area;
- a significant number of trees planted to create a park-like setting;
- general landscaping; and
- storm-water management upgrades.
Phase III
The Town plans to construct a new year-round community centre that will be connected to the Pavilion, once funding has been secured and approved by Council. Development of detailed concept and architectural designs has been underway since 2010; business and operational planning is also in progress.
The multi-use facility will accommodate conferences, banquets, meetings, weddings and other functions. Responding to needs identified in the Leisure Services Master Plan – an indoor recreation and culture facility study jointly commissioned by the Tri-Municipal Region – the Town applied for funding through the Major Community Facility Program, administered by Alberta Culture and Community Spirit, and has received $1.7 million from the Province for construction of the new centre.
Constructing a new community centre and pavilion on the same site reduces development costs and offers enhanced opportunities for joint-use events. Together, these facilities will attract both citizens and visitors to Heritage Park, spurring local economic development and continued interest in our community.
The Heritage Park Revitalization Project demonstrates the Town's commitment to efficient and innovative use of resources in a way that considers the needs of both current and future generations and will provide ongoing benefits to the community for years to come. For more information, visit www.stonyplain.com.
For More Information:
Rudy Zacharias
Corporate Communications Coordinator
Town of Stony Plain
T: 780.963.8606
F: 780.963.2197
E: r.zacharias@stonyplain.com