Pleasant Valley Lodge celebrated their one-year anniversary for their new location this past week.
The Lodge moved into their new building on 47th Ave. one year ago, from their previous location on 53rd Street.
“What a wonderful facility I have inherited,” current manager Roger Harrison said. “Our previous manager Linda Wanke suffered through all the growing pains and hard work of opening a new facility and I get to sit back and enjoy the wonderful building.”
The project of building a new lodge started more than a decade ago, and many community groups were enlisted for help.
“It all starts at the board level with a dream and a will to make the project grow forward,” Harrison said. “There are 13 municipalities that had to cooperate and help fund the project to the tune of 50 per cent.”
The provincial government generously came up with the other 50 per cent to finance the building.
“In addition to the funding from the town, we also received the land in which the building sits on at a greatly reduced price through the generosity of the Town of Athabasca and its citizens,” Harrison said. “On behalf of all residents at the lodge we would like to thank all levels of government.”
A lot of hard work has gone into the move, according to Harrison.
“After everything is built and installed one would think that the hard work is over. (But) now the task of decorating, moving all the residents, and starting all the new equipment begins.”
Harrison said the building wouldn’t have become a reality without the help of all the volunteers and their efforts.
“The Rotary Club of Athabasca helped us with the moving of many items and assisted in setting up the new building,” he said. “The Reform Church of Athabasca also assisted in helping us move in, and were kind enough to purchase our old lodge.”
The old lodge will be converted into a new home for the Reform Church of Athabasca.
“Bonnie Kerr has helped in so many ways,” Harrison said. “She volunteers to help with activities, decorating, moving furniture, and assisted with the paperwork and orientation of the moving to the new building.”
The Athabasca & District Senior Citizens Society provided the lodge with a donation, which helped to furnish the recreation room.
“The Whispering Hills Country Music Association gave us two donations. One which helped to install a gas fireplace in the recreation room, and the second will help to build a garden shed,” Harrison explained. “The South Athabasca Entertainment Society was kind enough to generate funds that enabled us to purchase an organ.”
Trans Canada Pipeline donated funds that made it possible to furnish one of the common rooms.
“The Lions Club of Athabasca was kind enough to donate a large screen television in one of our common rooms for the use of our residents,” he said. “The Knights of Columbus were also generous enough to donate a large-screen television.”
Dave and Peggy Lopushinsky donated the various trees planted around the lodge, and the Pleasant Valley Lodge Craft Club fundraised to help decorate the lodge.
“The East Athabasca History Book Society also donated funds to buy an electric fireplace for our recreation room,” he said. “The Lac La Biche Central Parris Committee donated the artwork in the chapel.”
Gary Gaudreault helped build the lodge and donated the P.A. system, while the Missionary Church of Athabasca donated funds to decorate the building.
“The Perryvale Womens Club also donated funds, and much more was donated anonymously,” Harrison said.
