Rockyford secures government funding for handicap-friendly facility

By Miriam Ostermann, Associate Editor

With deteriorating infrastructure and features not inclusive of those with a physical handicap, the Rockyford Sportsplex will undergo construction this month to upgrade its facility, thanks to a grant from the provincial government.
The Rockyford Agricultural Society has planned for the renovation of the facility’s washrooms and bleachers, and the creation of a viewing area for those confined to wheelchairs – which is currently non-existent – for many years.
Then just over a year ago, the society moved ahead on securing funding.
“It’s long overdue, it’s something that we’ve been planning on doing for many years and a year ago we were finally able to get the funding in place and the plans in place to make it happen,” said Darcy Koester, president of the Rockyford Agricultural Society.
“It’s an important part of the community, this building. It brings a lot of people into the town. It’ll be a much more comfortable and enjoyable place for people to watch their kids play hockey and ringette.”
With a price tag of nearly $150,000 – half of which is raised through fundraisers, the support of the Rockyford Lions Club, and reserves – the Alberta government recently approved the Community Facility Enhancement Program (CFEP) application for just over $70,000.
“I think we’re always pleasantly surprised when we receive money from the province; it’s an application, it’s a process through this grant program, and over the years Rockyford has done well in our application process,” said Rockyford Mayor Darcy Burke.
“I’m always impressed when I see provincial dollars being invested in small rural communities, and it ensures that there will be sports and recreation here for our citizens and surrounding areas for many years to come.”
CFEP is a government grant that provides financial assistance for the purchase, repair, renovation, build, and upgrade or expansions of sports, recreational, cultural and other linked public-use community facilities.
The Rockyford Sportsplex falls under that category. It was erected in 1973 and contains a skating, hockey and ringette arena as well as a two-sheet curling rink.
However, the original bleachers and other features of the aging structure have been waning over the years and the lack of accessibility within the facility, especially washrooms, for those in wheelchairs or with other physical handicaps has proved limiting.
“The bleachers have been in there since the construction of the building; they’re starting to deteriorate, they’re showing their age and we thought if we’re going in there, we’re going to have to do remodelling to have to put in this viewing area. Why don’t we start with an entirely fresh bleacher system and encompass it as part of a new viewing area and bring everything up to date and code,” Burke said.
“It’s an important part of our life. These aging structures that we have in our communities, there wasn’t the thought put into what was needed to care for these folks who wanted to be able to view sports and recreation … now the initiative is we need to make sure that our buildings are accessible. I think that’s just demonstrating the community’s initiative – the ag society’s initiative – to make sure that anybody who wants to be in our facility is going to be able to be there.”
The Rockyford Agriculture Society received their CFEP cheque on March 28. As the facility is now closed for the season, construction is projected to commence this month, and it will open its doors when the hockey and ringette season start up this fall.