Gleichen prepares to celebrate

Times Reporter

 

On Jan. 14 Gleichen will be celebrating the completion of the hall renovations. It’s taken four years of fundraising and grant applications for this day to finally come. 

“We’re hoping that we can have 125 people come. We’ve invited quite a few guests from the organizations that have helped us collect enough money to get the grants we needed,” said Doris Lindman, with the Gleichen and District Community Association.  

Calgary country singer Lori Kole, who recently released her third single ‘Caught up in you’, will be performing, and will be bringing along a band that is sure to get people dancing. 

“We knew that we would have this done by January 14 and we knew this I think at the beginning of November. We picked this particular date because of the entertainer Lori Kole, she is booked up months in advance and literally she opened up one date for us,” said Lindman.

MLA Arno Doerkson will also be attending the event, which will have a roast beef dinner, followed by a few speeches and then dancing. 

Lindman said contractor Nick Holt, who is also a member of the community, was fantastic at keeping things within budget, while pitching new ideas. 

“He’s had some better ideas than we had initially, for the same price or less, he has made the place better,” said Lindman.

There were a number of things inside the building that were in a state of disrepair, and Lindman said the building had to practically be gutted and redone. 

It was fitted with modern cupboards, a commercial stove, and sinks in the kitchen. All of the gas lines, electrical and plumbing work, had to be re-done in the kitchen. A large pantry was added to the kitchen and a cooler was updated which means the kitchen now has commercial status. 

A storage room was also placed at the back of the hall to hold decorations for the various celebration events held during the year.

The bathroom sinks, stalls and toilets were removed and replaced, and new flooring has been laid throughout the building.  

A grant from the Community Facility Enhancement Program helped the association bring in some of the money faster than they may have otherwise.

“We, through the other grants, had raised half of the money and then we applied to CFEP and it’s a matching grant, we got the other half. It was through all of those grants that we were able to fix the kitchen, and the bathroom and all of the things that I mentioned,” said Lindman. 

Tickets for the gala are $20 per person and the doors open at 5:30 p.m. 

There will be a silent auction, and proceeds from the auction, and further fundraising events, will go towards many more needed renovations for the hall.  If any community member would be willing to help in any way at the Association’s functions, please phone 403-734-0114.