A centennial only comes around once. To make sure Drumheller’s 100th anniversary has a lasting legacy, plans are in the works to complete the Centennial Park project.
    The project aims to create a skateboard park and a performance stage next to the Rotary Spray Park and Aquaplex.
    To fund the project, the Drumheller Centennial Committee has partnered with the Drumheller Association of Skateboard Enthusiasts to pool their resources and gain access to vital grant money.
    “The major grant being applied for is the Centennial Legacy Grant, so it would definitely be fitting to do a project in our centennial year,” said Paul Salvatore, Director of Community Services and Centennial Committee member.
    The plan at the moment is to build a skateboard park in the grassy area immediately north of the fountain due to the prominence of the site.
    “It’s not just about skateboards. We want to make it a more expansive project, but skateboarding is a major component. We expect it to be popular in the community,” said Salvatore.
    However, the scope of the project aims to turn the grassy area south of the Aquaplex, next to Riverside Drive, into a performance space.
    “In the early 1990’s there was a study done around the same time as the fountain and Spray Park were created to put in the [performance stage] component. With the way we’ve run our Canada Day festivities and other festivals, it could fit. We want it to continue to be a vibrant place and a space for residents to enjoy,” said Salvatore. “For it to truly be a legacy project, it should serve all kinds of residents.”
    The hope is the centennial skateboard park and performance stage will attract more visitors to the area and downtown Drumheller as a whole.
    “It’s an incredibly dynamic site. We consider it to be high profile and when you have a lot of activity and people, it tends to draw even more down there. It fits in really well with our overall plan and the other facilities in that area. It also gives a connection to downtown and supports people visiting and enjoying our downtown area,” said Salvatore.
    The skateboard park is also a little closer to being a reality thanks to a considerable $30,000 commitment from the Drumheller & District Chamber of Commerce earlier in the fall. The commitment is expected to help the Skateboard Association apply for matching grants.
    It is expected, should all go well, construction on the Centennial Park project would be completed by the fall of 2013, so as not to interfere with the Canada Day celebrations typically held at the Spray Park.

    Drumheller is bursting with history. In an effort to preserve it, the Town of Drumheller will soon be introducing a bylaw which would allow the designation of heritage resources.
    It is hoped the first draft of the bylaw will be ready for review by the end of November.
    “What we would want to do is have a draft bylaw for council to review in the weeks ahead, so we can begin the process of identifying properties the task force can review. My goal was to having something to review by the end of November,” said Paul Salvatore, Director of Community Services, in the meeting of Town Council on Monday.
    To develop a bylaw suitable for Drumheller, other communities were consulted, especially Banff, Medicine Hat, and the municipal district of Big Horn.
    The bylaw is part of the Town’s heritage resource management plan and would allow the Town to designate properties or structures as being heritage resources.
    The designation would allow the owners of those properties to seek grant money from the Provincial Heritage Resource Foundation to restore and maintain their properties.
    “We would hope to entice business owners to improve the properties they occupy or if they are unoccupied, make those properties more marketable,” said Salvatore.
    The program is a volunteer program and property owners can apply to receive $50,000 from a lottery based grant or a one time $5,000 grant, which could be used to help preserve the building.
    The proposed bylaw is part of a process that began with the Heritage Inventory Project last year. Through a grant from the Alberta Historic Resource Fund and contributions from the Town of Drumheller, the Drumheller & District Chamber of Commerce, and Community Futures Big Country, Donald Luxton and Associates were brought in to perform the inventory.
    Donald Luxton and Associates and the Heritage Steering Committee worked to identify the historically significant sites in Drumheller. In the end, 50 properties and structures were identified.
    “Those properties identified in the Heritage Inventory would be perfect candidates for moving forward with a heritage designation bylaw,” said Salvatore.
    The list includes sites such as the Atlas Coal Mine, East Coulee School Museum, Midland Train Bridge, Jesus Statue, and Dinny the Dinosaur.
    Any site that is designated would receive a plaque or some other form of recognition for their status.
    The timing of the bylaw, for some, could not be better.
    “It’s quite interesting, with our coming centennial, how much you learn about the community by looking at the history of our buildings,” observed Councillor Tom Zariski. “It’s a really good, condensed history of Drumheller.”
    The Town of Drumheller will be adding the complete heritage report to their website. To learn more, visit www.dinosaurvalley.com.