The Stettler and District Agricultural Society is getting a much needed boost for its ongoing legacy project.
It was announced by the UFA Rural Communities Foundation at the end of October that Stettler was to be one of four recipients of the annual $100,000 grant.
According to Mary MacArthur, with the Stettler Agricultural Society, Stettler’s share will be just short of $28,000 to go towards the outdoor washrooms and showers behind the grand-stand at the agricultural grounds.
The dated facilities are getting run-down and in significant need of an overhaul as they are used regularly by the thousands of people who take part in activities on the grounds during the average year.
“Its exciting that we’re going to help the Stettler Agricultural Society do more of their good work,” said Rural Communities chair Harvey Hagman.
Stettler’s application was selected by a subcommittee with no ties or vested interest in the community, picking the projects based on merit.
According to Hagman, around 150 grant applications were received for the fall 2022 intake. They were sorted down to the top 12, then deliberated on by the subcommittee.
The grant started as a five-year, $500,000, community investment project by the Rural Communities Foundation.
While the initial five-year project has one year left, with funds that have been further added to the foundation’s investments, Hagman sees that the project is just going to continue growing.
“It’s early days,” said Hagman. “We’re going to be able to do greater worker over time.”
Since the foundation was set up in 2014, $5.5 million has been invested by UFA for community development, with the interest being used for the project.
As for the Stettler Agricultural Society, the funds will allow for the renovation of the outside washroom facilities, removing two men’s and two women’s showers and re-framing with new valves, shower heads and waterproof materials, replace seven toilets between the two sides, as well as generally cleaning up the appearance of the structure.
The goal of the Agricultural Society is to have the washroom portion of the Legacy Project completed by May 1, 2023.