BY KALISHA MENDONSA
Lacombe Express
Community economic development organization ECHO Lacombe Association is proud to announce a funding support for their first community project - the new ECHO Energy Stage.
The new stage will be located in the Lacombe Memorial Centre (LMC) courtyard. The new performance space will be central for the Music in the Park series and will serve as a community stage for future performances.
“We are thrilled to team up with the Echo Lacombe Association for the construction of this much-needed outdoor stage,” said Lacombe Performing Arts Centre Foundation representative Ellen Corea.
“It is wonderful to be associated with an organization that shares the same enthusiasm we do in supporting the arts in Lacombe. Many of us are Echo Energy account holders, and for us it is great to see that a community project like this can be made possible simply by paying our gas or electricity bill.”
The program was introduced as a community project association earlier this year, with representatives from the City of Lacombe, Burman University, the Lacombe & District Chamber of Commerce as well as five members of the public.
The group exists to foster collaboration between community stakeholders as they work towards the common goal of improving quality of life, improving relationships between businesses in the community, promoting sustainable growth and developing a safe, inclusive, vibrant and healthy community.
”We have been searching for a project that would help demonstrate the potential involved with our group and the Echo Energy initiative,” said ECHO Lacombe Association President Drayton Bussiere. “We feel that we have unearthed the perfect opportunity with the Lacombe Performing Arts Centre Foundation.”
Bussiere went on to say Echo Energy is an innovative program where residents are able to support a local energy retailer, whose profits are returned to the community and are used to support local community groups.
The Echo Lacombe Association (ELA) achieved not-for-profit status earlier this year. According to the Echo Energy web site, the City of Lacombe established the organization in 2013 as a new utility services retailer.
Proceeds generated through Echo Energy are returned to the Echo Energy Community Fund that in turn are used to promote projects such as the new stage in the LMC courtyard.
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