Water Valley sets example

As Cochrane continues its discussion and hopes for a new community centre, it might want to look to the community of Water Valley for inspiration.

Fifteen years ago, the small hamlet identified a need to replace its aging community hall, which was beyond renovations. The cost, as is common with a new building of such a magnitude, exceeded $1 million. For a community of such a small size, that is a considerable amount of money.

Instead of going into debt or raising taxes to support the need for a new building, Water Valley began fundraising more than a decade ago and took the slow and steady approach to winning the race.

For the past 15 years, the community has made do with its old hall while fundraising for a new one.

Last week, the fundraising committee received a huge $300,000-boost through the Community Facility Enhancement Program and is now aiming to top off the remaining fundraising to begin construction next March.

It is no secret Cochrane has a need of community hall-type space. While there are a number of great venues in town that can accommodate big group events, there isn't one that is considered a true community hub.

There has been talk of a new community centre/cultural hub facility for Cochrane but the stomach for putting tax dollars toward such a structure has yet to settle from the enormous cost of the new aquatic/curling centre.

Using Water Valley as a model, this is a perfect opportunity for Cochrane to gauge public interest for a new community centre. If this is something our town truly needs, maybe a dedicated group of citizens can step forward to create a fundraising society to support it.

Through donations and grants a majority, if not all, of the funds could be raised to build a new community hall. Even the operations budget could be handled through user fees and facility rentals.

This approach would not only keep municipal costs down, it could also be used to gauge public support for a new hall.