It will be business as usual this year, but the Linaria Ag Society is calling out for volunteers to help raise funds and maintain the Linaria Arena in the coming years.
Representatives of the society are meeting with Westlock County council Sept. 11 to ask for funding assistance to help with operating and fuel costs, but ag society secretary Sharla Bakker said they are in need of volunteers as much as they are in need of cash.
“We are opening our doors this year, but without our county’s help we won’t be able to open next year,” she said. “Without that and volunteer support for our board, we won’t be able open again if we don’t get that extra help.”
A town hall meeting is scheduled for Aug. 30 at the Linaria Hall to inform residents of the results of the meeting and explain the current status and future of the arena. Over 200 people use the rink each year, she said.
Most members of the ag society’s board have held their positions for a very long time and Bakker said they needed some new blood to help keep the society alive.
“We need more membership to help us with planning and fundraising,” she said. “There’s basically only eight of us on the board and we’re doing all the work. Most of us are lifers. A lot of the board members have been there for 10 to 15 years already.”
Bakker said the society would like to get back to three-year terms instead of permanent positions. Volunteers would have to attend monthly meetings, organize fundraisers and oversee events at the arena.
One thing in Linaria’s favour is the arena itself is in relatively good shape. No major repairs are needed to the building, the main expenses are for diesel to run the building’s generator and the cost of the utilities for the building.
“We go through a lot diesel fuel,” she said. “Something we’ve talked about in the future is switching the arena over to three-way power, which would be cheaper on fuel, but that’s something we need to look at the cost of doing. The first thing we need to do is figure out how to keep the arena going.”
She said it was important to keep small arenas like Linaria’s in operation, noting that both the Rotary Spirit Centre and Barrhead Agrena are already booked to capacity and the arena in Fawcett is a natural ice arena.
“We’re getting all the overflow. Without Linaria, I’m not sure where those people are going to go,” she said.
“We’ve got to get everyone involved to keep that little place going.”
