VIMY – The Vimy and District Lions Club is spearheading a community-wide effort to refurbish the playground park and upgrade the community's aging hall.
The need for these upgrades is urgent as the playground is deteriorating and the hall requires significant repairs, said Jess Jackman, speaking on behalf of the club.
“Our playground is quite old and deteriorated. We definitely know that we need to do something there. If we just take it out then we don’t have it and it’s another thing our community loses."
The hall also requires significant repairs due to damage from a windstorm earlier this year and the kitchen needs to be updated.
“Our hall is a very old building,” said Jackman. "The hall gets a lot of use through rentals for birthday parties, family gatherings, weddings, funerals, and community events. If it’s old and dingy nobody wants to use it."
Westlock County Reeve Christine Wiese praised the ongoing fundraising efforts led by the Vimy and District Lions Club.
“Having these clubs stand up to provide the services, not just through volunteerism, but also financially, is huge for us as a municipality.”
Wiese said the county usually gets requests from community groups for grants but grants can’t fully support these facilities.
“We desperately need more people like the Lions Club to step up. Jarvie has a really, really good community group that advocates for that area. In Fawcett we have seen big improvements there as well with a lot of residents coming together and doing major improvements on the hall. We rely on them just as much as they rely on us. So, these community groups are huge and we are pretty proud of them.”
Wiese said the county is currently asking all residents to complete their Recreational Master Plan Survey to find out what amenities people are using and what they didn’t realize are available.
“This all ties into our Strategic Plan as well," she added. "That is something we are trying to focus on, which is improving our hamlets, improving our communities and just making it a better area for everybody that wants to come.”
Sherri Provencal, Westlock County Division 1 Councillor, voiced strong support for the Vimy Lions Club, emphasizing their crucial role.
"It's very important," she said, reflecting on her personal connection to the club through her father, an original member.
"My parents had the post office in Vimy for over 50 years and they were on the Lions Club for many, many years.”
She said what groups like the Lions Club do is important to help keep hamlets viable.
“We want families there," said Provencal. "Vimy Lions do a tremendous amount of stuff. A lot of the members are a lot older and now they’re getting some young blood back in there, which is really wonderful.”
Working together and led by the Lions Club, residents are doing their part. For instance, she said when they redid the skating rink, community members worked side by side, sanding and painting boards and rebuilding the skating rink.
“The little shack, well we always call it a shack but it’s not really a shack, is redone by the Lions.
“We’re hoping to get the old communities back again like I grew up in," she added. "I literally grew up main street Vimy."
Volunteerism is ingrained in Vimy's culture and essential for sustaining small communities.
“We grew up volunteering. That was just how it has been in my life. It’s just important. There have always been volunteers to keep the little communities going.”
The planning for the fundraiser began in April, with an official launch in mid-May. The fundraising drive will run until Oct. 31, culminating in a draw scheduled for Nov. 2. The raffle boasts a potential prize of up to $10,000 to the lucky winner.
For further information on how to support the Vimy Lions Club, or participate in their community events, email them at [email protected] or contact them through their Facebook page.
