The Newsy Neighbbour Magazine
August Issue 118
Article Provided By: Rolly Ashdown
Volunteers
make a community. We just went through Langdon Days, the most visible Volunteer
activity in our hamlet. It is the biggest fundraiser for the Langdon Community
Association. If you aren’t involved in any other volunteer activity, that is
the one you can put a few hours in and meet some really great people. Every
year on the weekend after Stampede week, we have our little Fair; the parade is
great, the Ball Tournament is great, the kid’s activities are great and even
the beer garden is a great way to let loose a bit.
This
year, Bob Thomson was given the Volunteer of the Year Award; it may be a little
more than other Volunteer of the Year Awards, since Bob has been volunteering
in Langdon since he got here in the 90’s. He has been part of every substantial
thing that exists that volunteers have been involved in. From the outdoor
skating rink to the Fieldhouse to the 45-acre joint-use site that will start to
become a part of the Langdon Recreation Landscape in the not-too-distant future.
Due to Bob’s kind efforts and leadership, Langdon is a better place. He and
Shirley are planning on relocating to BC in a while and they will be missed.
Thank you very much for all you have done Bob, and Langdon will be enjoying the
fruits of your labour for many years to come. Be proud of your efforts and
satisfied that you will be leaving Langdon a better place because you were
here.
Recreation
in Rocky View County is done differently than what commonly exists in urban towns
and cities. Typically, with large populations, there is a Parks and Recreation
department that builds, runs and maintains facilities. There are some
exceptions like Community Centres that we see in Calgary, where the Community
Association runs a facility. Even Calgary is going more the way Rocky View does;
recreation in leasing their City-owned facilities to different operators. With
about a million acres and a multitude of communities, the County strives to
support the efforts of the many associations by granting recreation dollars to
the hard-working volunteer organizations. In the past, the Ag Societies were
the prevalent form of recreation groups. We have a fine example of a successful
one in the Bow Valley Ag Society that operates the Indus Rec Centre, where many
of our budding future NHL stars are learning their hockey skills. As time goes
on, we will be watching many new facilities coming to life here in Langdon.
The Quad
baseball field is going to be the next large visible facility. The 45-acre site
that is jointly owned by the School Board and the County (another Bob Thomson
effort) will be housing 4 new fields in the next few years. The High School
will be located on the site as well as County Recreation facilities. There has
been over $6 million dollars approved for site improvement that we will be
watching over the next few years. Langdon is growing, not just in size but in
facilities as well. Many of us come from other communities that are mature and
already have their Rec places. Many of those communities are 4 to 5 times the
age of Langdon; what we have accomplished together with the noble efforts of
the volunteers of today is indeed impressive…and we just got started a mere 2
or 3 decades ago! Well done Bob and all the other volunteers; keep up the good
work! Your Community appreciates everything you do!
Best
Regards,
Councillor
Rolly Ashdown,
Division
4, Rocky View County
403-999-2722
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