Despite being open and active for several months now, Kali’s Korner in the Westlock Rotary Spirit Centre has officially held its grand opening.
Kali’s Korner is named after Kali Boulerice, who died of a brain tumour in November 2006 at the age of five.
On hand at the grand opening on March 26 was Kali’s mother, Lisa Boulerice, along with Westlock mayor Ralph Leriger, Barrhead-Morinville-Westlock MLA Maureen Kubinec and various members of the Westlock Parent Link Centre and Rural Kids Matter coalition.
“I want to thank everyone who contributed to this room,” Boulerice said when asked to say a few words. “A lot of people worked hard to do this.”
She added she was happy to be involved in the room, and said she felt honoured to have the room named for her daughter.
“I hear her name every day because the kids all talk about going to Kali’s Korner,” Boulerice said.
Kubinec spoke of how she had known Boulerice for a long time, and admired her for having the strength to get through the ordeal.
“To have a room in Kali’s memory is a good thing,” she said.
Leriger had a difficult time getting through his comments at the opening, explaining Kali’s Korner meant a lot to him because Kali was his niece.
He spoke of what it was like living through Kali’s illness, and applauded everyone who was involved in creating the room in his niece’s memory.
“A community is the collective experiences of its members,” Leriger said.
The grand opening was a relatively low-key affair, with former PLC co-ordinator Leanna Hall acting as MC.
Hall explained Kali’s Korner was a great room when the Spirit Centre opened, but it was also a big, empty space.
After coming across a federal grant designed for infrastructure improvement and acquiring sponsorship from Westlock McDonalds owner Perry Rebagliati, she said the room was filled with numerous pieces of play equipment, vastly increasing its allure.
With the new equipment in Kali’s Korner, and the field house across the hall, the Spirit Centre has become the new home for the PLC’s regular programming, Hall said.
Its size allows the centre to accommodate upwards of 100 people, which is at least double what it could handle at its offices on 106 Street across from the post office.
Having Kali’s Korner at the Spirit Centre is also a win-win for the town, Hall added, as it brings more people – and younger people – to the facility. Adding in the easier access and better parking, it’s been a boon to both organizations.
