A Rivière Qui Barre community group hopes county council will put up $325,000 to help them turn the old Camilla School into a community centre.
Sturgeon County council voted 6-0 (Mayor Alanna Hnatiw absent) July 12 to refer the Rivière Qui Barre Agricultural Society’s request for $325,000 to their 2023 budget debate.
The society has shared facilities with Camilla School for about 40 years under a joint-use agreement, vice president Kory Perrott told council (The society has an arena attached to the school). When Sturgeon Public built a new Camilla School, they agreed to hand the old school’s gym and four classrooms to the society.
Perrott said the society aims to turn the old school into a community centre, but doing so would involve years of renovation. They have already put about $300,000 worth of upgrades into the building, including complete overhauls of its heating, electrical, and lighting systems.
The old gym is now ready to use, with one classroom expected to be open this fall, Perrott said. With $325,000 from the county, the society hopes to renovate the remaining classrooms and change rooms, and up-size the now kid-sized washrooms. The society plans to expand the centre’s kitchen, and revamp the centre’s exterior in 2025-2026.
Perrott said the society’s arena is the hub of the community, and hosts sports, dances, weddings, and other festivities held by people throughout the Edmonton region.
Coun. Dan Derouin said it's great that the society has been able to take over the old school buildings, as the buildings would otherwise have been torn down.
Council will debate the society’s request during this fall’s 2023 budget debate.
