It seems to be an ongoing story.
Yet again, the Westlock and District Community Hall is in financial trouble. Or rather, the hall is still in trouble.
The question has to be asked then, why is a facility that seemingly benefits the community constantly in danger of shutting down for lack of funds?
Yes, it is acknowledged the hall is not a town or county initiative. It came to being through essentially private means, through donations and the work of volunteers. Why?
Why did the town or county, or both, not take the first step 20 years ago, when the community hall was still a dream?
Why did the public sector not say, ‘We need a place to gather and host large events’?
Look at the larger urban centres. Edmonton, Calgary, Vancouver, Toronto, Ottawa. They all have publicly-funded and publicly-operated community centres with large meeting spaces. Why not here in Westlock?
It’s all well and good that the community saw a need and filled it itself.
In a way, the hall is like the Spirit Centre. It’s a large facility that services residents of both the town and county. And like the Spirit Centre, the hall is considerably larger and more complex than the facilities it either replaces or supplements.
There is also the concern that there may be too many community halls spread around the area. And when the issue of government funding comes up, so will the question: “Which halls should get municipal money?”
Ultimately that’s a question all three municipalities should answer. A joint committee including reps from the town, county and village to examine the feasibility of the area’s halls would be a good first step.
At the end of the day, the town and county, together, must step up and assume control of the hall if the board decides to walk away. Both bodies have the wherewithal and the experience to do it.
The hall already serves all area residents, so why not have those two entities take control? It would streamline the process of operating the facility and make the hall more responsive to the needs of the community it serves.
The hall is a good thing. We mustn’t let it falter.
