Community Launches Construction of Golden Age Centre

FTLComm - Tisdale - May 4, 2001

The large number of people who came out for the official sod turning of the Golden Age Centre clearly is an indication of the importance the community considers this development. Though planned for 2:30 in the afternoon people began arriving at 1:00 and at one point there was a need to help people find appropriate parking places. Many of those who attended needed to remain in their cars to view the proceedings. With the footings already

in the ground there was a

keen awareness of how soon this important project would be taking shape and it was well established that those in attendance felt excitement and accomplishment in seeing their plans go from talk to what will soon be a senior's recreation centre. Mr. Yoh posted the architectural drawings of the project including this interesting one of the block lay out. Though similar to the drawing you saw here in Ensign this one by the architect has the most unusual shading. Under no circumstances in this part of the world it is possible to have short mid day shadows from the North East, it just can't happen. The large exterior scene below

is not an image that has been published up until now and shows the way the new building will appear when it is completed.

This drawing of the interior layout was also published earlier in Ensign. It was important for those present to see these images and drawings posted right on the rafters that would soon contain the building. There were a few speeches that proceeded the ceremony the most notable by Tisdale's popular Mayor Rollie Zimmer. Mr. Zimmer explained the importance of this Centre to the community as a whole, not just to the seniors who live here but to everyone as this is a major contribution to the community providing needed

recreation to a large and growing portion of the towns population

People from Tisdale living in communities or just visiting distant places will be checking out this page to see what it was like Thursday afternoon and so we have included a number of pictures just to give these folks a feeling for the cheerful and happy atmosphere that prevailed. The fund raising to create a project like this one is a relentless and necessary part and it was clear that the people here at this occasion feel success in their hard effort

and to all there was a feeling of relief that those difficult meetings and fund raising projects have paid off. In his remarks Mr. Zimmer commented on the extensive efforts of the organisers in bring the project to this point and complimented the executive and former executive members who got the project going and who have seen it through.

(The scene below is a QuickTime VR which requires that you have QuickTime downloaded into your machine to view this scene, if you are seeing a long vertical image you are using a Windows machine and have not downloaded the free QuickTime plug-in, Microsoft's media player can not display a panorama.) You can look around this scene by placing your mouse on the picture and moving around, this is a 180º view of the scene looking West.

In the picture above and this one on the right you are looking directly at the site of the former TUCs high school which was removed only a little over a year ago. The area where the school once stood will be partly used for parking but will also be the location of outdoor recreational facilities, for horse shoe pitch and lawn bowling greens. It seems fitting that this site that saw generations of young Tisdale people obtain their education, play football and grow up will be the location

of this facility to provide recreation and special events for the senior citizens who now live in this town. Even while getting ready to dig up a ceremonial chunk of dirt Mayor Zimmer commented on the importance he saw in not only getting the facility constructed but he was looking beyond that to the time when the area would receive additional landscaping with rows of trees around the parking area an area that would enhance Tisdale both functionally and esthetically.

The Mayor and leaders of the Senior's association looked after turning the sod and the moment was recorded not only as you see here in Ensign but also by the Tisdale Recorder and individuals wanting to verify and validate the importance of this the third of May 2001 as the beginning of construction of the Golden Age Centre. To commemorate the occasion the past and present executive assembled for their picture to be taken and that is seen at the top of this page.

A series of presentations then took place with Tisdale Credit Union making yet another donation to the project this one of $20,000 and the President of the Lions and Lioness clubs made sizable contributions Others came forward with cheques and those contributions would clearly push the fund raising for the project over the top for the remaining amount needed to finish up the project. But while this was going on one fund raiser was busy passing out books of tickets as the small contribution will continue to be used to enhance the project. With the presentations out of the way it was time for a little fun and in typical Tisdale fashion that meant auctioning off the ceremonial shovel. The new gold painted and engraved shovel had been donated by Lamb's Hardware and was now to be sold. Bob Penner opened the bidding and was promptly set upon by Paul Roy as they worked back and forth then Mr. Baron (below in wheel chair) entered the fray and came out the winner spending more that $600 on the shovel which he then donated to the centre.

Before these friends left the site most made a little pilgrimage over to the open basement to see the beginning of what will be their building, their recreation centre.