Mountain View County council has agreed to match all community contributions made to the new Rotary Athletic Park by Dec. 31 this year to a maximum of $1 million.
Council passed a motion to that effect Wednesday, Feb. 13.
The park, which will feature four soccer fields, four baseball diamonds, 10 horseshoe pits, on-site washroom facilities and a future field house and playground, is being constructed in the northwest part of Olds, off 70th Avenue, just northwest of Walmart.
As of last week, the town had received $924,500 worth of donations toward the park from the community, a town news release said.
"Rotary Athletic Park of Olds will be a drawing card for soccer and baseball players of many different ages. This complex of fields will provide players with the ability to participate in recreational, development and competitive sports at home in Olds and Mountain View County area," the news release said.
Mountain View County and the Town of Olds have been working together on an Inter-Municipal Collaboration Committees (ICC) agreement to provide quality of life for both town and county ratepayers.
“This announcement is an indication of the positive relationship we have nurtured between our two municipalities,” Mayor Mike Muzychka said.
"This cooperative effort ensures growth management, planning, programs and services, and facilities are efficiently and economically delivered," he added.
The matching funds from Mountain View County come from its newly created recreational capital fund. Money in that fund goes toward capital investments in infrastructure to build regional recreational facilities in the entire county.
During discussion on the matter, Mountain View County councillors expressed strong support for the matching funds proposal.
"What I want to emphasize as much as anything is the fact that the community has really rallied on this and taken out of their own pockets to really support the project," Coun. Al Kemmere said.
"And I think me as a councillor, I feel honoured to be able to recognize that those efforts have been done by us following our policy and our process to come to this final number.
"So I'm hoping council will support it, as it will be an amenity that will support the Mountain View County community, as a whole, I believe."
Coun. Angela Aalbers agreed.
"I do think this fits in with everything and I commend the ICC for all of your hard work in getting us to this (point)," she said. "I commend you. I think it's a good thing for our community."
"The thing that really impressed me is we have Olds Minor Soccer and Olds Minor Baseball both putting pretty good sized chunks of money towards this thing," Coun. Duncan Milne said.
"So when you've got the people who are going to be using it actually donating to it people will make use of it. I really do support this thing."
Coun. Greg Harris praised town representatives and staff for their work to create the park.
"Having sat on the Olds Rotary Athletic Park design committee, I think the town deserves a tremendous amount of congratulations on the stakeholders they brought together," he said.
"The work that was done that I saw going on on those committees was -- it was intense, but a large number of committed people on the part of their community and the different sports organizations, the councillors and particularly the staff of the Town of Olds who contributed to that. It was an excellent, excellent undertaking."
"I think it's important to recognize the value of athletics and the value of recreation for our community, because it is an important part, just as important as many of the other things that are provided," Beattie said.
"I think that's something to understand as we attract — not only attract people to your community, but also for the young people coming up and for those sports activities, it's extremely important to build.
"Recreation is part of being a community and it's important to have that. So I think this is a real -- this isn't a cost, it's an investment in our communities, and a joint investment as well.
"So I think that theme will continue — just highlights our continued ability to work with our communities and continue to build on that partnership."
— With files from Dan Singleton/MVP Staff
