The Gold Bar Building Committee has been hard at work over the past year; raising funds and getting approvals for our plans.

We are very pleased to tell you that we have received concept approval from the City of Edmonton for the hall renovation!  Our architect, Sherri Shorten, is now working on engineered drawings, which should be complete by the end of January 2012.

Before we start the planned renovations; we first have to address mold and asbestos issues, and this will be complete by the end of January 2012.  We will also be repairing the hall roof between December 2011 and February 2012.

Your support is very much appreciated as we work together to revitalize our community gathering place.

[Copied from Edmonton Journal Website]

After seven years of bingo games, garage sales and silent auctions, the Gold Bar Community League landed its first big investment to help fix up its decrepit hall.

"It's got to be, and continues to be, the hub of our community," said Isabella Pierce, a volunteer with the Gold Bar Community League.

On Friday, nine Edmonton-area non-profit and volunteer organizations were awarded grants from the provincial government through two funding programs.

More than $957,000 in grants were given out.

The Gold Bar Community League received $125,0000 under the Community Facility Enhancement Program.

That was one of the largest amounts awarded in Friday's round of cheques.

The grants matched amounts already raised by individual organizations. The Gold Bar Community League began to fundraise and hunt down potential grants about seven years ago when it was obvious the hall needed a major overhaul.

"We've done all the due diligence to maintain the hall," said Trudy Berry, also a volunteer with the community league.

Despite their best efforts, the hall's roof and sewage system remained a mess.

The old, inaccessible hall also had some asbestos and other hazardous materials. The hall was forced to close it s doors permanently in January.

The area's Scouts Canada group can no longer meet in the hall, and the community league is limited by what programs it can run without a proper venue.

Originally, the community league had planned a $4-million renovation to the building. It has since reduced the budget to $1.8 million.

With this grant money, the community league can now approach other potential funding sources, such as local businesses.

The province's support will help to back up future requests for funding, Pierce said.

"Somebody needed to be the first to step up," Pierce said.

The Summerlea, Lewis Estates and Cloverdale Community Leagues also received significant grants from the provincial government, for projects ranging from purchasing playground equipment to park furniture.

The Arts Habitat Association of Edmonton received the largest grant, at $191,846.

The funding will go toward the association's renovation of the Alberta Cycle building into an arts centre.

Click on the links to open PDF files in a new window

Updated site plan and schematic design

As of September 2009 $9,895.00 has been donated by community members, $3,937.50 has been raised through community events, and $1,330.00 has been donated by community groups for a total of $15,162.50 - THANK YOU! As this is a major project, we are accepting donations of any amount at any time, and at this point there is no deadline date. Anyone who has already donated and wishes to "top it up" is welcome to do so at any time.

Check here to download a PDF for details about donating, and how to donate!

Are you a Gold Bar resident who is a member of a service organization or an employee of a company that believes in charitable giving? There are many potential funders we would like to approach for monetary or gift-in-kind donations, however they require that there is at least one member or employee living in our neighborhood before we may submit a proposal or application. Giving us permission to include your name on an application does not oblige you to be responsible for it in any way, other than in name only. For further inquiry please call Isabella Pierce 780-466-3895 or Trudy Berry 780-465-2243.

After many months of preparation by Laurie, Rich, and Tim of the building committee, in May 2009 a Request for Proposal (RFP) was distributed to several architectural firms and three bids were received back. After an intensive review process, the successful bidder - Sherri Shorten Architect Ltd. - was chosen. Our architect, along with engineers and other consultants, will help us to finalize the drawings and plans for the hall, and move us through engineering and construction.

We have entered into a financial partnership with the non-profit North SEERA Hockey Association who are looking for a new home for equipment storage and meeting space. A non-binding letter of intent has been signed. North SEERA will help with some of our capital costs and in return become a partner to Gold Bar and our building project. To other non-profit groups, if you have space needs or requirements we welcome your enquiries for potential space in the new facility.