BONNYVILLE – In September of 1974, all that could be seen of the Bonnyville Agriplex was the foundation and its reddish coloured support beams popping out of a field of grass.
Half a century later those same beams and foundation have been exposed once again, as extensive renovations take the facility from the traditional hall that the Bonnyville Ag Society had designed, into a multi-purpose space within the Bonnyville and District Centennial (C2) Centre.
“At that time, it was used as a community hall for every event in the region, from graduations, to weddings, to concerts. It was a gathering place for every big event. So, it's got a long history,” said Les Parsons, the general manager of the C2.
The long history and connection to the Ag Society is the reason that the facility will keep its name - Agriplex - after the renovations are complete.
The first major addition to the hall came in 1982 when an arena was built and named after the late Rosaire Joseph Lalonde.
A decision to expand the Agriplex and R.J. Lalonde Arena into a community hub to celebrate Bonnyville’s Centennial became a reality in 2004 when two local construction companies merged, GenMec Building Corporation and Alliance Construction Ltd., giving the businesses an opportunity to tackle the large-scale project.
GenMec ACL has since been contracted to carry out the Agriplex’s renovations.
Tied to the community
Over the last 48 years, the Agriplex has helped tie the community together by transforming into a bingo hall, a weekly farmers market and a school for École Notre Dame High School and Bonnyville Centralized High School students when those facilities were undergoing their own renovations.
Now it is time for the original hall to get some much-needed TLC. Old tiles have been ripped up and stained ceiling tiles removed to make space for a higher ceiling.
“We are renovating the entire interior of the Agriplex to bring it up to 2022 standards and getting rid of that antique feeling of an old hall. It served its purpose well in this community for years,” said Parsons.
The space will be repurposed so it can host a wide range of sporting events from pickle ball to basketball, as well as concerts and banquets, with the potential for boxed seating that overlooks the venue from the Nova VIP lounge.
The Agriplex will be able to hold roughly 400 people seated at tables and 600 people in a hall seating format.
“We're putting it in what's called a multi-use floor that can be used for dancing in cowboy boots and can also be used for sports.”
The decision to renovate the hall was seen as a necessity by the C2’s Board of Directors as well as its stakeholders, the Town and MD of Bonnyville.
“It frees up the field house, because right now the field house is booked solid,” the general manger said.
“This is driven by the demand of the citizens of the MD and in the town. They want more access to recreation facilities and more access to special event community facilities. Right now, it's conflicting where we can't meet the needs of the community just with the field house.”
$1 million project
The Agriplex renovation project is anticipated to cost over $1 million and will likely be ready for use by the public in late September or early October.
“This would not be possible without the support of the MD of Bonnyville and the Town of Bonnyville,” emphasized Parsons.
“They have picked up the bill for the entire renovation and all the furnishings and equipment that needs to go with it as well, from lights to sound to chairs and tables and sport equipment. So, it's a big thing... the (municipalities) are doing this to serve their citizens and supporting this because they see a need for it.”
The project will be funded out of the operating reserves each municipality has saved from revenue generated from the C2 over the years, as well as the allocation of municipal capital funding and reserves. The MD has also secured a $300,000 loan for the project.
While the Town and MD have committed to splitting the costs of the renovations, Parsons is hopeful the project will be successful in obtaining a Community Facility Enhancement Program (CFEP) grant.
If successful, the grant would cover up to half of the $1 million project. The C2 and municipalities will learn if they have been awarded the grant in December after the renovations are expected to be completed.
