Pavilion Build Report

The City of Camrose first approached our Rotary Club in 2012 with a proposal to redevelop the former RV Park on this site. At that time, the club chose instead to build the Rotary Youth Centre. The City came back to our club, the Camrose Ski Club and Battle River Watershed Alliance with a proposal to spread out the project into phases with each organization taking on part of the overall project. Our club chose to build a covered shelter which has become this Rotary Pavilion. The Heritage Showcase came about as we contemplated a way to honour the traditions of our community and celebrate how nature has endowed our community.  

It took three years and eleven grant applications to obtain the funds to start the build but we are a persistent bunch! We are so thankful for the Province of Alberta CFEP and the Co-op Community Spaces grants for the funds to start this project. Many thanks to the City of Camrose, Susan and Arnold Malone and the twenty businesses and families who have contributed so generously to complete the build and allow us to complete the heritage showcase.  

It has been an honour to lead our Rotary volunteers who made this happen. The value of the nine hundred volunteer hours to build the pavilion and over one thousand volunteer hours to complete the Heritage Showcase is a testament to just how persistent we are. 

Shirley Rostad

If you missed the Pavilion construction you’re not alone. Onsite construction began June 14th 2021 and finished a month later. The actual project began years earlier. Our goal was to provide a covered, accessible, outdoor location to enjoy our beautiful valley.

Many thanks to our build chair Rotarian Ron Grue and to all the others who worked to make this structure a reality.

Design and construction advice: Kevin Lindholm and Doug French

Site preparation and other advice: City of Camrose Parks and Engineering

Assistance with the physical build:

• Colin and Kirk from Sevenson Builders Inc. 
• Sunset Concrete Inc. 
• Rotarians and Friends: Ron Grue, Dan and Vicki Cole, Lou and Morris Henderson, Florence Blanchette, Krystal Mayer, Donna and Warren Phillips, Tyler Weber, Dan Macpherson, Sheila Herle, Kim Boyco, Roy Wallace, Gerrie Dey, Ken Roberts, Don Rebus, Maurice Francoeur…

Assistance with material, equipment and other costs:

• Norm Mayer – Central Agencies
• Troy Atema – Atema Construction Ltd.
• Logan Read – Read Contracting Ltd.
• Border Paving Ltd.
• Rob Hauser - Hauser Home Hardware Building Centre
• Greg Bell
• Wideman Paint & Décor Ltd.
• Jay Walsh 

The second part of the project was to research, write and design 20 panels and a supporting website to showcase our community heritage. We wanted to showcase our heritage in an accessible way and created the website to expand on the panel information. This part of the project took much longer to pull together. The research and writing was challenging but most rewarding.

We are so thankful for the community support we received along the way.

Panel research, writing and editing:

• Shawn Smith from the Canadian Northern Society
• Nathalie Olson from Battle River Watershed Alliance
• Glen Hvenegaard 
• Augustana Faculty
• The team who researched the 2007 Four Seasons Environmental Centre materials
• Lyn Campbell
• Greg King
• Morris Henderson
• Members of the Rotary Club of Camrose: Donna Phillips, Kim Boyco, Carolyn Cassady, LeRoy Johnson, Celia Leathwood, Ted Gillespie and Shirley Rostad

Those who shared their archives, knowledge, and photographs:

• Family of Garry Gibson
• Family of Daryl Phillips
• Family of Paul Gotaas
• Camrose Ski Club
• Camrose and District Centennial Museum
• Canadian Northern Society
• Dale Toogood
• Glynnis Hood
• Dee Patriquin
• Carolyn Cassady
• Twomey family
• Greg King
• Lea and Darcy Polny
• Dave Larson
• Ingrid Urberg
• City of Camrose Engineering
• Members of the Rotary Club of Camrose, Ken Roberts, Kim Boyco, Ted Gillespe, Debbie McIntosh and Shirley Rostad

Those who designed the panels, created the website and printed and installed the panels:

• Kelsey Rostad
• Dan Macpherson
• Kris Cunningham of Camrose Sign
• Shirley Rostad

This project would not have been possible without the financial support of our major funders:

• Province of Alberta
• Co-op Community Spaces Grant
• City of Camrose
• Susan and Arnold Malone

And our panel sponsors:

• Central Agencies
• David Taylor Family
• Dennis and Shirley Johnson
• Direal Inc. – Roy Wallace
• Drever Agencies
• Franco and Emanuela Leoni
• Hoyme Manufacturing
• I.G. Private Wealth Management – Kudrowich and Associates
• Lamb Ford
• Odell Olson
• Marvin and Betty Johnson Fund
• Nufloors Camrose
• Ross Distributors
• Rostad Family
• Cooperators Insurance
• University of Alberta
• Vision Credit Union
• Weber Funeral Home
• Wild Rose Co-op
• Wood Garnett Radchecko LLP

Thanks to our members who worked on grant applications and sponsorship requests:

• Lou Henderson
• Kim Boyco
• Carman Mason
• Kevin Smook
• Al Rostad
• Shirley Rostad

Many parts of the Heritage Showcase were written by willing volunteers who had only a passing knowledge of the topics they worked on when the project began. They were Rotarians, not researchers and writers. We hope you find the topics interesting and informative and that our errors are minimal.

If you enjoyed this information and would like to learn more or contribute to the website, please contact us by emailing the Rotary Club of Camrose.