It looks like the construction slated for the Frank Wills Memorial Hall will soon be underway, thanks in part to a hefty grant from the provincial government.
The Frank Wills Memorial Society has been awarded $125,000 by Alberta Culture’s Community Facility Enhancement Program. Matched by another $125,000 collected by the society, Maureen Wills, founder of the society, said the $250,000 will allow the society to finally break ground on a goal of theirs: adding on to the existing hall space along Cochrane’s 1st Street East.
The cheque was presented at the hall on March 26.
“I was beginning to panic because we’ve tried three times to get this grant,” said Wills. “But we’re so glad it worked out.”
Although she said the society still has to raise about another $100,000 for the project — Wills estimated the total undertaking to cost about $380,000 — she said she anticipates construction to begin once the frost disappears.
“We still have a little bit of work to do and we’ll work hard to get the last bit of (funding for the project),” she said. “We need a little more, but that will come.”
The construction will add a two-storey addition to the existing structure, growing it 28-feet eastward, said Wills.
“Over the years, demand for the space has grown,” she said. “This will give us two big main halls, along with smaller board rooms, to offer the community.”
The hall is used throughout the community for a variety of gatherings, including celebrations, meetings, seniors programs and church groups; although initially Wills said it was constructed to support the local scouting troupes.
“The society still based on the scouting ideals, which centre on community,” she said. “The community — that’s where we live. And we need to make it a better place.”
The Community Facility Enhancement Program was initiated by the Alberta government to help foster the defining characteristics of communities within the province.
