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Sports and rec association pledges $100,000 to community theatre

After 20 years of pursuing and promoting recreation amenities in Bonnyville, one large final donation to a local fine arts theatre may mean the end of the Lakeland Sports and Recreation Association.
lsra-bellamy-foundation
Lakeland Sport and Recreation Association president Guy Demers (left) presents $100,000 donation to Clayton Bellamy Foundation for the Arts vice president Lise Fielding (center) and the foundation's founder Clayton Bellamy (right).

BONNYVILLE – A significant donation to the Clayton Bellamy Foundation for the Arts may mean the end of a local organization that has contributed greatly to recreation in the Bonnyville area. 

Lakeland Sports and Recreation Association (LSRA) President Guy Demers handed over a cheque worth $100,000 to musician Clayton Bellamy and the foundation’s vice president Lise Fielding on Oct. 25. 

The funds pledged are for the construction of a proposed fine arts theatre slated to be built in an undeveloped space in Bonnyville Centralized High School. 

“We decided that we're going to find some way to donate that money to some community organization,” said Demers. “That’s basically the last of the [association's] money. If another project comes up, we might decide to reorganize ourselves again to do something.” 

LSRA formed in 1998 to construct the Vezeau Beach Park and boat launch. The association continued to operate and maintain the campground for about 15 years after the park’s completion before turning over the property and amenities, such as the Shaw House, to the MD of Bonnyville. 

After the association decided to pass on the management of the campground to the municipality, they were left with operational funds that have since been used to support other recreational initiatives. 

This has included spearheading trail surveys, studies and development plans around Moose Lake and donating to community projects such as The Hive Youth Hub and now a community theatre project being pursued by the Clayton Bellamy Foundation. 

“We were looking for some projects that the community would stand behind and a theatre is not something that is easy to build,” Demers acknowledged. 

“We missed the Lyle Victor Albert Centre, and it was a real gem in the Town of Bonnyville and to have the chance to rebuild it, we all thought was an opportunity that was good for the community.” 

The LSRA board of directors will now decide if they want to dissolve the committee or put the association on standby until another community sports and recreation project needs greater support. 

Running Vezeau Park was never the long-term goal of the LSRA, said Demers. “We built it for the community. Once it was built, we were happy with it, and now we are deciding on whether to retire. We spent 20 years doing that project.” 

Discussion around whether LSRA’s remaining funds should be directed towards a new pool in Bonnyville took place among board members, but the uncertainty around when such a project might get off the ground resulted in the decision to support the proposed performing arts theatre instead, said the LSRA president.  

“Our organization was community focused. It wasn't to make money or anything like that. We saw a need to build the park and we did and now we see a need to build a new theatre. We're glad to help and hopefully the theatre gets built within a couple of years,” added Demers. 

Funding a performing arts theatre 

So far, $285,000 has been committed to the theatre’s retrofit, if it is completed by the end of 2023. The Clayton Bellamy Foundation has also received $150,000 of in-kind donations to date. 

The foundation is currently applying for the MD of Bonnyville’s Municipal Community Actions Grant seeking up to $150,000 in funding and is eagerly waiting to see if the theatre project will be approved for a provincial Community Facility Enhancement Program (CFEP) matching grant. 

Sponsorship packages will also be rolling out soon and will give businesses and community members an opportunity to be “Friends of the Foundation” and get a plaque placed on a theatre seat. 

Any donation inquiries can be directed to the foundation’s website at claytonbellamyfoundation.org 

The performing arts theatre will service the greater Lakeland region. 

Efforts to create a fine arts program in partnership with MacEwan University to take place at the proposed theatre are already underway, according to information received by Bellamy. 

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