An official opening ceremony was held June 12 at École Deer Meadow School for the facility's pergola, named Dot's Spot, in honour of community visionary Dot Negropontes.
A pergola is a decorative outdoor structure. It features columns or posts that support a roof which consists of a grid of beams or rafters.
Negropontes passed away on May 15, 2017. She was the school's first-ever principal and rose to become an associate superintendent of the Chinook's Edge School Division (CESD).
She was also the driving force behind the creation of the Community Learning Campus, a joint venture of Olds College and the CESD, which has attracted interest around the world.
Negropontes also served as acting dean of the Olds College School of environment and school of animal science and horticulture.
Olds College conferred an honorary degree posthumously on the late Dot Negropontes during its 104th convocation exercises, held June 1 at the Ralph Klein Centre.
Her husband Teddy accepted it on her behalf. He was also among those who attended Wednesday's pergola opening.
Dot’s Spot is the brainchild of EDMS teacher Lori Clarke’s gardening and landscaping academy. They had planned it and fundraised for it for about three years.
She saw it as a great facility for students and residents because it's hard for kids -- and even her -- to sit in the classroom in the warm months. It's just too distracting.
The pergola was constructed in May with help from several businesses, community groups and volunteers, as well as members of the gardening and landscaping academy.
Negropontes told reporters the pergola was a very fitting legacy for Dot.
"It's amazing, it's amazing. It's something that will last forever, you know, with the pressure-treated wood and everything like that. I think it's wonderful. I think it's probably the best thing they could have done for Dot because it will last for a long time."
He described the landscaping around the pergola as "beautiful," noting some of the plants around it are the same as those planted in front of their home.
Negropontes said although two years have gone by since Dot passed away the pain is still there.
"It's just hard to come to these things all the time. It's been two years, but it still brings a frog in your throat," he said.
Clarke said the pergola is already a big hit.
"I think the thing that is so rewarding and exciting — not only for me, but for the students — is that it is used all the time," she said.
"It's before school, after school, morning recess, noon recess. And then I'll have my kids come to class and say, 'I was walking on the sidewalk with my grandma and my dog last night and there were all these community people in the pergola.'
"It's not just our students that are benefiting from Dot's love, but our community too," she added.
Signs on all four sides of the facility not only say 'Dot's Spot,' but also feature a deer (for École Deer Meadow School) and a bird because Dot had a well-known fear of birds.
Clarke noted the pergola is not quite complete. She said later on, a big rock will be set in place there with the name "The Dot Negropontes Memorial Pergola" sandblasted on it.
