OLDS — Town council has approved a proposal to name a park and playground space at 56th Avenue and 58th Street Jean Statham Park after a prominent, longtime resident.
However, although the project is in this year’s Town of Olds budget, it may not be completed this year, due to supply chain issues, community services director Doug Wagstaff warned.
“Jean moved to Olds in 1946 when she was 13 years old and spent the rest of her 84 years here," said Wagstaff. “She worked in local banks for 30 years and was the Hi Neighbour welcome hostess for over 30 years, until 2015.
A document from administrative staff states: “During those years, she welcomed over 5,000 new families to Olds with folders full of gift coupons from local businesses and information about Olds and its services. Living in Olds for so long had made Jean a wealth of information for newcomers.
“Her friends and family would joke that it was the perfect career for her as it allowed her all the coffee drinking and visiting she could handle."
Among other things, Statham organized the Newcomer Ladies Coffee Club to help women who were new to the community make new friends and feel more at home.
The park has been a Kiwanis park for some time.
The decision to rebuild and rename it goes back at least to the winter of 2020 when the Kiwanis Club of Olds was contacted by neighbours in the area to see if they’d be willing to help rebuild the playground structure.
The club agreed to do so and representatives asked town officials if they could provide matching funds to help cover the cost of the work.
They also asked that the park be renamed after Statham.
“The Statham family has been contacted and would be honoured to have Jean and her years of dedication to the Olds community remembered in this way,” the document states.
Lyle Statham, a member of the family, was among those in the gallery to witness council’s decision.
"It is an exciting point for us when we’re able to name parks, especially after honoured residents from our community,” Wagstaff said.
“We’re very honoured to recommend to council the naming of a park in Olds the Jean Statham Park.”
Wagstaff said once the park project is completed, a special ceremony will be held.
However, the supply chain issue is a problem.
“We have already had feedback from suppliers that if we were planning for a park this summer it’s going to be touch and go in order to have that completed,” he said.
Mayor Judy Dahl addressed family members in the gallery for the discussion.
“I do miss your mother a lot. It certainly is a face that you get to know, especially since 1984, since we’ve been here and a dearly-missed lady – your whole family, thank you," Dahl said. “I can’t wait to see that park.”
Time was set aside during the meeting for a photo to be taken with members of the family.
