The Rosedale Recreational Society has made great progress on the first phase of its Revitalization Project, and is gearing up for its second phase.
On Tuesday, April 30, the Rosedale Recreational Society met to draw the winning ticket for its 4-day/3-night guided trip on horseback into the Willmore Wilderness Area near Grande Cache, AB. The package includes 6 people, meals and camping. The trip is through Indian Trail Adventures and was donated by some generous donors.
The prize winner was close to home as Keith Hodgson of Rosedale was selected. In fact, Ticket #001 was drawn. Hodgson chuckles and admits it has been about 55 years since he has been on a horse.
The $17,460 raised by the raffle will go towards Phase 2 of the revitalization project. Secretary Cate Samuel explains Phase One has been a great success as last summer the Miner statue was refurbished. Inside the hall, the flooring was replaced, as well, the ceiling was replaced and textured. The lighting has been replaced with high-efficiency LEDs, and the entire hall has a fresh coat of paint. There are plans to install new windows.
“We received a CFEP grant at the end of last year. It was a matching grant for $25,000, so we did a $51, 000 renovation of the hall in the last couple of months,” she said.
“The proceeds from this draw will go to the next phase, and that will either be washrooms or the kitchen.”
They are also planning to refurbish the skating rink and shack. They received a grant from Old Man Wind Farms which operates the Wintering Hills Power Project, and have applied for support in kind from the Community Assistance Grant to use asphalt millings to resurface the rink base.
“We want it to be used year-round,” said Samuel.
The work endeavoured by the society has injected vitality into the hall and in turn, the community.
“Last weekend we had a volunteer appreciation dinner and we had about 60 people in here. We provided dinner and refreshments. It was a really good community night and everyone enjoyed themselves.”

Golden Hills School Division is organizing an Esports league with students from different schools competing, learning and having fun.
Esports is a form of competition with video games. What was once thought of as a solitary endeavour, has grown into a community with teams, leagues, even national programs. At the highest levels, competitions have sold out arenas and had over 6 million online viewers.
Principal of Carbon School Ryan Hatch is the coach of the team at his school. He says students from Grades 7-12 are welcome, and many are forming teams.
“We are doing it because Esports is becoming such a big part of a lot of other schools,” he said. “You look at other schools in Lethbridge and Edmonton and see how wonderful these programs are, how they are growing.”
He adds Esports also provides opportunities for students at post-secondary and beyond.
“We want to make sure our kids have those same opportunities,” he said.
Beyond the fun and camaraderie, Hatch says there are important learning aspects to gaming.
“More than just playing video games, it is designed to develop teamwork and strategy,” he said. “Kids get to strategize and talk about it and plan. It enhances critical thinking for these kids, which is wonderful, as well as quick decisions and adaptation. It also enhances problem-solving skills, that is one of my favourite things about gaming.”
There is also a social aspect.
“You are providing an environment for people to connect and create social connections. You are bringing together kids from many different social groups and backgrounds and finding common ground in this activity, which is beautiful in its creation,” he said.
There are many other skills, just like playing any other sport, such as fair play, sportsmanship, how to win or lose, and set goals. Hatch says they have the same expectations for these students as they do for other sports, including keeping up on their studying and attending school.
While the program is in its infancy, he said some teams are gathering and practicing. The division has selected Rocket League because it is a good entry-level game, and are planning a division-wide tournament this school year.