The previous 12 months have been a good time to live in Westlock, with one event overshadowing all others.
“The obvious highlight was finally getting the completion of the Spirit Centre and getting that opened up in June,” said mayor Bruce Lennon.
Opening the facility with a gala dinner was the culmination of more than four years of work by the town and the Spirit of Westlock Foundation, and to see it all come to fruition speaks to how dedicated everyone was to see it happen, he added.
Even now, more than six months later, Lennon said people are still talking about it and what it means to the town.
“A lot of people, when they come here, they look at it and say they can’t believe a town of our size would have such a great facility,” he said.
Even though the Spirit Centre has been well used and well received since it opened, Lennon said he’s encountered people who were skeptical about it. However, in many cases their skepticism has been short-lived.
“Some people who were on the fence as to whether this was a good deal or not, once they’ve seen the facility and seen how people use it and so on, my feedback is that it’s a real plus and they can’t believe it’s in the town of Westlock,” he said.
While the Spirit Centre is a major achievement, Lennon said he also sees it as a step towards the future.
He said he hopes that 2013 will bring more residential and commercial development to Westlock, all thanks to what the Spirit Centre offers.
One thing Lennon knows 2013 will bring is the 55-Plus Summer Games in July.
The joint project between the town, Westlock County and the town and county of Barrhead is a major undertaking more than a year-and-a-half in the making, and is setting at least one precedent in the relationship between Westlock and Barrhead.
“This is the first time we’ve done anything in a big way with Barrhead, so it will be interesting how that comes together,” he said.
It’s not going to be easy hosting more than 1,000 athletes and at least that many volunteers and supporters, he said, but it’s something that will have a lasting impact on the area.
“I think that’s really important, and I think that’s going to positively impact Westlock, Barrhead and the surrounding area,” he said.
Another project that will see benefits today and into the future is the work undertaken by the Westlock Regional Water Services Commission, Lennon said.
Building the water line down to Pickardville and Busby gave the town the opportunity to upgrade its water and sewer infrastructure along the route, a move that could see more development come to the community in the coming years.
“As a town, we’ve got our ducks in a row for people who want to come and do some kind of development in our town,” he said.
