Courtney Hildebrand, Chris MacFarlane and Linda Harman, members of the fundraising committee unveil a surprise: The CO-OP will donate $3 million to the fundraising efforts. (Julia Lovett-Squires/meadowlakeNOW staff)

By Julia Lovett-Squires

COOP Centre

$6M fundraising campaign kicks off for the future Co-Op Centre in Meadow Lake

Mar 12, 2024 | 5:53 PM

A public fundraising campaign, with the goal of securing $6 million for Meadow Lake’s new recreation and civic centre, has officially been launched.

An event was held on Tuesday in the mirrored room of Studio 3. Standing at the podium, in front of rows of tables, Mayor Merlin Seymour shared the news.

“Today we gather to celebrate generosity and vision as we launch this campaign and announce an extraordinary lead gift that will help us propel us toward our goal.”

The surprise announcement that Meadow Lake Co-op was going to give a $3 million donation – broken up in two sections as $2.5 million went towards naming rights with the rest of the $500,000 to be matched with the community through the “CO-OP Community Builder Campaign – was met with gasps, cheers and claps.

“This centre, carefully designed to promote wellness and community, will now stand as a symbol of our shared determination,” Seymour.

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With the goal of completion in March of 2025, the future Co-Op Centre is expected to be more than an arena. It will be a multiplex with a fieldhouse and an event centre.

Mayor Merlin Seymour speaks at the announcement. (Julia Lovett-Squires/meadowlakeNOW Staff)

Linda Harman, one of the fundraising campaign co-chairs, said she sees more opportunity for the community beyond just the arena section.

“All ages to be able to exercise, and to meet as a community, because that’s not always easy to do when we have our long winters,” she said in a follow-up interview.

Harman explained that for groups like Strides or people who play indoor soccer and pickleball, the amenities and facilities will not only be upgraded, they’ll also be accessible.

“It offers options for all children to feel welcome and adults to feel welcome,” Harman added.

In the press release, Caralee Strome, Meadow Lake CO-OP general manager said they are proud to support the initiative.

“As an active and longstanding member of this vibrant community, we recognize the importance of investing in projects that enhance residents’ quality of life,” she said.

Caralee Strome, Meadow Lake CO-OP general manager cuts the cake in celebration. (Julia Lovett-Squires/meadowlakeNOW Staff)

According to Reagan Beck, Parks and Recreation manager, the fieldhouse component is the true gamechanger.

“At one point we had funding in place to do the arena and nothing else and we went to council and asked for additional amount of money to do the fieldhouse and they had the vision to see that was what really defined this project,” he said.

“Without the fieldhouse, we’d be replacing a beautiful rink – an older one – with a new beautiful arena and so now with the fieldhouse, it adds a whole different layer.”

Meanwhile, the community expects great things for the centre that will be more than an upgrade from the original arena, which burned down three years ago, for which the city received a grant through the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program in 2022 to rebuild. Seymour believes it’ll transform the community into a destination.

“I’ve been on council for about 12 years and our previous mayor – one of our thoughts was – let’s make Meadow Lake a hub of the northwest,” he said.

“People coming down from the north on HWY 155 turn right to come to Meadow Lake rather than going left to Prince Albert. We’ve got a long way to go, we’re a small little city but if we had the opportunity there to attract people, everybody’s going to gain from it.”

To learn more, visit: https://yourmeadowlake.ca/mlrc.

julia.lovettsquires@pattisonmedia.com

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