One of the Valley’s main community gathering places is finally getting a much-needed upgrade. Thanks to the hard work of the board of the Lobelco Community Club, Lobelco Hall will be getting a new roof this spring.
“We have received the funds required to fix the roof,” said Board Chair Kevin O’Neill. “There were two substantial grants from Heritage Canada and Northern Development Initiative Trust, as well as a fantastic amount of community donations.”
The hall, which was constructed by volunteer labour in 1928 and is now 91 years old, has had a leaky roof for the past 10 years. It is the most used building in the community, with an average of over 270 usage days in a single year. “The community really stepped up and the total donations were $24, 512,” said Board Treasurer John Morton. “It’s a very valuable space to the community and this really reinforced that.”
The hall is managed by the Lobelco Community Club, who took it over from the Fall Fair almost 20 years ago. It is a registered charity and society, and while they manage to cover operational costs through the user fees there is precious little money left for capital projects.
“We expect the costs to be between $75 - $90,000,” said O’Neill. “Getting a grant was the only way we could possibly afford to complete this project.”
The Club has hired a local project manager and work is expected to start this spring or summer.