It might have been dark and gloomy outside with the rain but it was cheery inside the Bold Center during the ribbon cutting ceremony last Wednesday morning that saw the main hallway of the multiplex filled with people. Among those people were provincial Progressive Conservative leadership candidate Doug Horner, MLA for Lac La Biche-St.Paul Ray Danyluk and Lac La Biche County Mayor Peter Kirylchuk who all spoke about the innovative ideas of the community and the Bold Center.
“I’m here to see a community in action,” said Horner during his brief speech, later adding that the Bold Center represents the different community members working together.
“It is a fabulous example of the different levels working together to make it a success.”
Even though the facility has been open for six months, the ceremony last week was part of the Lac La Biche County’s “Be Bold: A Year to Remember” celebration, that has seen several events in the past held to celebrate the multiplex’s first year in the community. Kirylchuk told the audience that age is only a number when it comes to the Bold Center, and that there have already been some memorable moments over the past few months.
“The Bold Center only opened six months ago, but we have already created such great memories, like a marriage proposal at centre ice,” he said, adding that it has also been a place for his family to gather.
Master of Ceremonies Jane Palmer, who was the fundraising coordinator for the Bold Center and helped raise $4.5 million in sponsorship, agreed with the mayor and said that this ribbon cutting ceremony represents “the heart of the community.” It was in the similar vein that MLA Danyluk emphasized the idea that the local sports facility is more than just a place with a name.
“This facility is about people, about community, about industry. It’s about libraries, about schools. It’s about everything coming together to make this facility work,” he said. After his praises for the Bold Center, county council and administration, Danyluk made a point to mention the Cold Lake bombing range briefly at the end of his speech, where he guaranteed residents good news.
“I will guarantee an equal or better situation than we are in today.”
The Bold Center ribbon ceremony was wrapped up by Palmer, who added one final thought about the morning’s events.
“This is a day to be proud of the community.”
