BY RYAN WELLICOME
Lacombe Express
The Clive Public Library and Clive Family & Community Support Services (FCSS) have moved into their new home, the newly renovated Clive Community Resource Centre (CCRC).
The Clive Public Library was formerly located in the basement of the Clive Village Office and, according to Clive Community Resource Centre Society (CCRCS) Vice Chair Valerie Russell, was inaccessible to many residents of the community.
“It was a flight of stairs to get down and back up to get to it. That made it just about impossible for quite a few of our community members to get down there to use the services,” she said. “It came up in a meeting that what if we got a building with (floor) level access?”
The CCRC building was originally built as a fire hall and is located on Main Street. “It’s very visible on Main Street now so it’s a good thing.”
With the new location and level of accessibility, Russell has high hopes for foot traffic.
“I’m hoping that it just skyrockets,” she said. “We have a wonderful level access now that is wheelchair or scooter accessible, there is a very little bump to get in or out and bathrooms are accessible.”
The building features a new boardroom style meeting room that can be booked and rented out and is called the ‘Program Room.’
“If somebody comes in and needs to have a meeting to discuss something that is going on locally we thought, here is a little space,” said Russell.
Russell explained the lack of small meeting room spaces available to rent helped the CCRCS make the decision.
The CCRCS was formed by the joining of the Neighbourhood Revitalization Association and the Clive Public Library Board. Both of the organizations saw the need for a more accessible building for residents and created the CCRCS.
The merge was seen as a facilitator that could finance and purchase the building for the new CCRC through fundraising.
“It was a great idea, a great venture for (the two organizations) to have this vision and bring the two together and do the work to create it,” said Russell.
Russell said funds used for the purchase and renovation of the building were secured through donations, almost exclusively; the project received one grant from the provincial government through the Community Facility Enhancement Program (CFEP).
CFEP provides funds to community organizations throughout Alberta to build, renovate, repair, purchase, upgrade and improve community facilities.
With the Clive FCSS also moved in, Russell said the facility will become central to the community.
“We wanted to make it a multi-purpose, central facility. Putting the library’s and FCSS’s resources together seemed like a good option,” she said.
Russell believes the new CCRC will have a significant impact.
“I think it will have a huge impact on our community. The resources are visible. Everybody can see what’s going on there and be just a hop, skip and a jump away, literally, from resources.”
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