On Monday, Feb. 18, our MP, Dan Albas, was in Logan Lake to present the community with a belated Valentine’s Day present in the form of a $138,300 grant.

Albas presented the money on behalf of the Honourable Lynne Yelich, Minister of State for Western Diversification.

The grant is earmarked for construction of new entryways to the Recreation Centre as well as the installation of an elevator to the second floor.

In his presentation speech, Albas said he was proud to recently talk about Logan Lake in the House of Commons and to remind Canadians living in large urban cities of the importance of rural resource communities such as ours.

He went on to emphasize that Logan Lake and its responsible resource development plays an important role in Canada’s rate of employment growth – the strongest among G-7 countries – and that these factors also have a positive influence on the future of our country.

Because of these economic influences, Albas stressed that the federal government recognizes the need to support community infrastructure.

In the case of Logan Lake, that means improvements to the Recreation Centre, which plays a significant role in the quality of community life through recreational, fitness and learning opportunities for residents of all ages while generating economic activity in terms of providing jobs.

Mayor Marlon Dosch, for his part, spoke about Logan Lake’s demographics, which make it one of the oldest communities in the province.

Dosch also discussed how the new federal government funding grant will “increase both the accessibility and functionality of the Recreation Centre for years to come.”

Following the presentation, some of the Logan Lakers attending the event were critical of the funding expense given the possibility that the W.H.Y., currently housed on the second floor, could be moved to what is presently the fire hall.

However, both the mayor and the members of council who were present – Audrey LeBlanc, Al Smith, Robin Smith and Charlie Weir – pointed out that, should the W.H.Y. relocate, then the second floor space would revert back to being a facility for community and social events and, in that case, the need for accessibility would continue long into the future.