JANUARY 8, 2020
News Advertiser PAGE 15
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Vegreville Rangers Edge Out St. Paul Canadiens 6-4 During First Home Game of 2020 Michelle Pinon News Advertiser Friday night lights under the rafters of the Wally Fedun Arena was an exciting affair between the Vegreville Rangers and St. Paul Canadiens. For Brady Dunn it was different being on the other side of the glass and sitting in the stands while waiting out his four game suspension. His mood was upbeat as he talked about his time with the Rangers Jr. B squad since earning a spot on the roster in 2018. “It’s a good team. It’s a good community,” said Brady, who has lived in Vegreville for the past six years. The funniest part about being on the team is time spent in the dressing room. “Everybody’s smiling. It’s a good atmo-
sphere.” Brady said the players are like a “family” and he has enjoyed spending time both off and on the ice with his teammates. Brady said you need to have chemistry on a team to win, and with the Rangers there is no individualism. As a collective, the team practices weekly and travels to and from communities from Wainwright to Frog Lake and everything in-between on weekends. The Rangers are one of eight teams in the North Eastern Junior B Hockey League and the players range in age between 18 and 21 years old. Even though Brady spent many years playing minor hockey, the left winger said it was “definitely a change” moving up to the Jr. B level. “It’s a much
faster pace, bigger guys. You have to keep your head up because it’s a lot more physical.” He is adjusting well, and is making the most of his time with the team. The Canadiens were first on the scoreboard, but the Rangers answered back in the second period scoring back to back goals. It was tit for tat most of the way with the Canadiens tying things up in the middle of the third period. But the Rangers forged ahead, and answered back with a shorthanded goal to make it 5-4 Rangers. St. Paul decided to pull its goalie with less than a minute to play and the Rangers scored an empty netter to seal the deal 6-4.
Vegreville Rotary Club rolling out Fundraising Campaign for new Skatepark Michelle Pinon News Advertiser While plans for a new skatepark in Vegreville are gaining momentum; the organization behind the initiative is counting on community support to turn its dream into reality.” We’re hoping the community will get behind us,” said Renee Senko, a member of the Vegreville Rotary Club’s skatepark committee. “We’re trying to raise as much capital as possible,” added Senko. To that end, members will be personally approaching local businesses and community groups in the coming weeks and months to request donations for the project. “We are also looking for in-kind donations.” Some examples of that could be concrete, rebar, etc. “At this point we want people to know and be excited about it, and hopefully support our fundraising efforts.” The total estimated cost of the skatepark is $1 million. In addition to the concrete skatepark there will be walking paths, trees, picnic tables, benches, sensory walls, play and green space so it will accommodate skateboarders, inline skaters, cyclists, and people with scooters and wheelchairs. Senko said members wanted to ensure the park had features that youth, seniors and families could all enjoy. “We are in the process of applying for a $425,000 CFEP (Community Facility Enhancement Program) grant, and we’re hopeful we’ll be successful with that; but that is only a small part of the total cost, so we need the help of the community, our businesses and families to raise enough money.” Committee members have also written $200,000 worth of other grant applications, and have their fingers crossed that they will be successful on that front as well. To date, the club has raised just under $100,000. “We could start construction by the fall of 2020 if the funds are available. Of course, we will have to defer the project if we do not raise that,” added Senko. As to why it was so important for members to embark on such an ambitious project, Senko replied: “We love giving back to our community. We love to be involved in local projects and youth are very important to our club. We do a lot with youth and we just wanted another Rotary legacy in our community.” Senko said response to the project, which has been in the works for the past two to three years, has been very positive. “We did a community survey to see
what they (citizens) value and if they wanted a skatepark in the community. There was an overwhelming response that yes, a skatepark would be valued in the community, so we went with that.” The club hosted four community consultations as part of the design process, and also received direct feedback from the schools between the time a preliminary design was drafted to the time a final design was completed. Newline Skate Parks was hired to design the skatepark and will also serve as the contractor for the project. “We’ve been working with the town and the county to find the perfect location, and they will assist us with project management,” pointed out Senko. The skatepark will be located on the northeast corner of the Vegreville Composite High School grounds, and the access point will be at the information sign along Highway 16A. “EIPS (Elk Island Public Schools) will be leasing that parcel to the Town of Vegreville.” The parcel is just over four acres and has enough space to accommodate additional development. The club hosted its annual Lobsterfest in June, and from that event were able to set aside $10,300 for the project. Senko said they are
also planning to have a ‘Taste of the World’ fundraiser early in 2020. The Vegreville Rotary Club was established in 1951. Past projects include the development of the Rotary Peace Park on the east end of town on Highway 16A, and the Rotary Rendezvous Park which is located downtown. The club currently has 35 members.
