Athabasca received quite a gift at its centennial dinner party last Friday.
Premier Ed Stelmach brought word that $600,000 from the Community Facility Enhancement Program would be provided to the Athabasca Regional Multiplex Society.
“It will go toward developing soccer pitches and baseball diamonds to help meet the significant demand in the community for more sports and recreation facilities,” Stelmach said. “Such places are where young people can learn the lesson of leadership, teamwork, compassion and friendship.”
Stelmach went on to say that these facilities would continue to build the province of Alberta and help keep communities strong for the next 100 years.
“A strong community is a strong province in a strong country,” he said. “Congratulations to you all on celebrating this wonderful milestone.”
With the grant from the government, both the Town of Athabasca and Athabasca County will put forth $250,000 toward the Multiplex project.
“It has long been a meeting place for First Nations, Metis and those who found their way to this land of opportunity, be they travelers or traders, missionaries or explorers, settlers or adventurers,” said Stelmach in his speech at the dinner. “It’s not surprising that many of them fell in love with the area and stayed.”
Hundreds of people came from all over North America to be part of the event, including past mayors and councillors.
The Lieutenant Governor of Alberta, Donald S. Ethell, talked about how Athabasca was an educational gateway for Albertans, and a gateway to the north.
Stelmach also believes that in the years to come, Alberta will grow tremendously as a province and strengthen Canada as a whole.
“We are now the largest free-trade zone in Canada because of our western partnership,” he said. “We have what the world needs. We have wood fiber, we have food, and we have oil and gas.”
With the growth Stelmach is predicting, more infrastructure, school and roads need to be built to accommodate it.
“When I first started as an MLA in 1993, we had a little more than 2.3 million people. Today, we’re 3.8. That’s how rapidly we’re growing,” he explained. “We grew more jobs in Alberta than the whole country of the United States.”
Alberta is the only area of North America that came through the worst recession since the Depression with increased assets.
“It’s thanks to Albertans that are always optimistic, they’re risk takers, entrepreneurs,” he said. “There is no limitation to our economic growth.”
Stelmach reminisced about traveling to Athabasca as a small child with his father to purchase lumber.
“I remember the hospitality. I had some relatives here at that time, so this was an evening of fond memories,” he said.
