Memorable Beginnings
The Memorial Centre and Lacombe Public Library have in one way or another touched the lives of every person who has lived in or near Lacombe. Whether you recall one special event or several treasured memories, they have been an integral part of the culture, heritage and quality of life of our community.
The first Lacombe Memorial Centre, also home to the Lacombe Public Library, opened in the early 1950s. Both were destroyed by fire soon after the official opening in 1953. The community of 2,700 rallied to fundraise and build a new structure that was opened in 1955 and is still standing today in the heart of downtown Lacombe.
The Lacombe Memorial Centre continued to be the centre of community activity for the next 50 years. In the 1980s the Public Library outgrew its space and moved across the street to its current location in Parkland Place.
Looking back over the last half-century it's impossible to count the number of books borrowed, the weddings, reunions and anniversaries celebrated, the concerts and festivals experienced or public issues discussed. These have created our memorable stories of the past.
The Memorial Centre and Public Library have served Lacombe citizens well for half a century. The Centre is aged and outdated, and both facilities are far too small to meet the needs of a population that has quadrupled in the last five decades and continues to grow rapidly. It's time to progress to the next chapter and construct a new, vibrant community centre and library worthy of the needs of the Lacombe region.
The new Lacombe Regional Centennial Centre will provide a greatly expanded, state-of-the-art space for the staging of private and public events. The facility will be developed around the existing Lest We Forget Memorial Park. A flexible, energy-efficient, multi-purpose design, including a commercial-quality food preparation facilities and full teleconferencing capability, makes the new Regional Centennial Centre capable of hosting several events simultaneously.
The library, a key component of the new Centennial Centre, will more than double its current floor space creating room for a greatly expanded book collection, additional computer stations and a broader range of reading programs. Family and Community Support Services (FCSS) will benefit from new, larger office space on the second floor. Adding the library and FCSS office space will create daily public activity in the building and a central meeting place for people.
The projected $7 million Lacombe Regional Centennial Centre revenue plan is multi-faceted and includes financial commitments from a range of resources. The Town of Lacombe is the primary funding source, with significant additional contributions to be received from Lacombe County, provincial grants, the Lacombe Public Library reserve fund and fundraising.
The goal of the Building On Our Story capital fundraising campaign is to raise $1.5 million through a combination of corporate and community fundraising.
Through this campaign, we can all invest in the future of Lacombe and ensure the continued existence of a centre for cultural and community activities.
A Place for People
The Lacombe Regional Centennial Centre is a worthy expression of Lacombe's vision for tomorrow as well as a major investment in the revitalization of the downtown commercial district.
It will allow the Lacombe Public Library to develop into a first-class community resource and attract new economic activity to the region. The new facility will provide a central venue for public gatherings, weddings, banquets, exhibitions and meetings.
When the doors of the new Centennial Centre open, we will have realized the vision of "building on our story." For years to come, town and county residents will have a place to celebrate their shared past, present and future.
Filled with daily activity, the Centre will truly be the heartbeat of the community and "a place for people."
Lacombe has always been a community that keenly embraces its rich cultural roots. This quality is most apparent in the careful preservation of the Edwardian-style architecture found throughout the downtown commercial district. As one of the anchor buildings in this unique area, the new Lacombe Regional Centennial Centre will echo this historical theme by incorporating many of the same architectural elements in its exterior design.