The Everything Olds Information and Entrepreneurship Centre was officially opened June 22.
The facility, located across 52nd Avenue from the post office, contains offices for the Olds Institute (OI), the Olds & District Chamber of Commerce as well as Uptowne Olds. It also features a visitor information centre in the lobby.
In addition, it contains a boardroom and a couple of offices that can be used by community residents and non-profit groups.
Renovations on the former Cooperators space began in the first quarter of the year.
During the official opening ceremony, greetings were brought by Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills MLA Nathan Cooper as well as Mayor Judy Dahl and Duncan Milne, the Division 3 councillor for Mountain View County.
Elder John Sinclair of the Cree Nation and elder Doreen Bergun of the Metis Nation of Alberta, Region 3 also said prayers for the facility.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held.
OI executive director Mitch Thomson served as MC for the grand opening.
ìToday's grand opening marks the development of a physical presence; a first for the Olds Institute and the Olds & District Chamber of Commerce,î Thomson said.
ìThis community facility ñ the Everything Olds Information and Entrepreneurship Centre ñ has been established to support residents, visitors, business and the volunteer sector.
ìIt is intended to be used much like a community facility. It is not something that we consider we own; we consider it to be community ownership.
ìSo we're encouraging the community at large to participate and use the space and to be a support for the community.
ìIt's a third space where people can come to connect, to interact and to share with each other,î Thomson added.
He told the approximately 40 people in attendance that the total cost to create the Everything Olds space as well as the first year of the lease is $200,000.
That includes funding from the town and the provincial government, which contributed $60,000. OI, through profits from Mountain View Power and O-NET, was able to kick in another $90,000.
ìThe Olds Institute receives about 42 per cent of its annual funding -- this year anyway -- from the Town of Olds. So the Town of Olds contributes heavily to everything we do, so we always need to recognize that,î Thomson told reporters.
He said going forward, it's expected to cost about $35,000 a year to operate the facility. That includes heating and lighting costs as well as lease payments.
ìPrograms and services of course are different,î Thomson said. ìWe haven't completely got that figured out yet.î
"It's a third space where people can come to connect, to interact and to share with each other."MITCH THOMSONEXECUTIVE DIRECTOROLDS INSTITUTE
