A general funding request from the PACO Agricultural Society in Fawcett to help operate its recreational facilities was before Westlock County council at its Oct. 9 meeting, but was deferred until upcoming budget deliberations.
Darlene Hensch and Dave Doke of the Progressive and Coordinating Organization Agricultural Society (PACO) were armed with numbers and statistics regarding the Fawcett Arena and they hope the county will help fund continued operations. No specific dollar figure for municipal support was requested.
“For anyone heading south on Highway 44, our hamlet is the first representation they encounter of Westlock County. We’re the first impression and we’re the ambassadors. It’s because of our recreational facilities that we attract visitors from no less than eight others counties on a regular and year-round basis,” Hensch told council.
The hamlet is a “recreational hotspot destination” for a number of reasons, she said, as there are at least two dozen attractions that bring attention to the community. The focus of the PACO presentation though was the arena, ball diamonds and community complex.
The group was looking for funding to assist with operational costs, or for direct funding for projects that have an impact of the image, comfort, usefulness and accessibility of the properties.
Operating expenses eat up all current funding so capital expenditures to improve the facilities are hard to come by.
With $39,400 in operating costs per year and $56,500 needed for immediate capital expenditures, the society is in a tight spot, she said.
Hensch laid out a few examples of potential improvements such as the replacement of entrance and exit doors to the complex and having proper steps or transitions completed; replacing worn-out benches and boards in the hockey arena; updating light fixtures to reduce electric costs; renovating dressing rooms; and making general improvements to the ball diamonds.
“Our hockey arena plays host to Westlock County’s most northern communities as well as some of the communities in the Lesser Slave Lake region. We offer public skating, shinny hockey, men’s and ladies’ hockey and operate a very successful hockey group the 44 North Hockey Club,” she said.
She estimated a yearly attendance of more than 5,200 visitors, including both players and support, to the arena over the course of its 15-week yearly opening. It is open six days a week and is available for rental on Sundays.
A group of volunteers contributed more than 600 hours of their time to operating the facilities over the course of the last year.
“If you ask me, that’s an exceptionally impressive number given the population of our hamlet,” said Hensch.
“This helps offset the associated costs of the upkeep of the rink.”
She also noted the community is open 260 days per year and is very well-used for everything from community fundraising events to meetings, pancake breakfasts, trade shows, cabarets, funerals, family reunions and weddings.
“There are constantly people coming and going from our complex. It is our community hub,” she said.
The ball diamonds are also well-used during the summer, catering to the needs of teams from around the region.
After the presentation Coun. Dennis Primeau thanked them for coming and made the comment that the group was as entitled to funding as any other group, notably, the Tawatinaw Valley Ski Hill.
“The ski hill is trying to glom on to the taxpayer money and you people have as much right to taxpayer funds as much as any other group of people in the community ... There needs to be an even funding profile for everybody. You need to have equal access. That’s what it really boils down to,” said Primeau.
