By rdnewsNOW staff

Construction of Ponoka’s new civic building on schedule

Jul 17, 2018 | 7:23 AM

PONOKA- Construction of the new civic building on the old hospital site at the north end of 50 Street in Ponoka is progressing on schedule, Town officials say.

The building contractor is currently working to finish the interior of the three-storey building.

Completion of the building is expected this fall at which time the building tenants, including Town administrative staff, will move in,” says Town of Ponoka Chief Administrative Officer Albert Flootman.

A grand opening of the new building is being planned for later this fall.

The Town of Ponoka signed a lease agreement last year for up to 28,000 square feet of floor space in the new building.

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The facility will house Town administrative offices and Council Chambers on the upper two floors, along with additional lease space on the third floor for the building owner to lease to other tenants.

On the main floor, there will be a new, expanded Ponoka Jubilee Library and a learning centre that Campus Alberta Central (CAC) is establishing.

The learning centre will offer access to new post-secondary education programs and courses in Ponoka.

CAC is a joint venture between Red Deer College and Olds College, which provides access to post-secondary education in more than 20 rural communities throughout central Alberta.

“Campus Alberta Central is very excited to be moving into the new building this fall and opening a new state-of-the-art learning centre that will offer a wide range of post-secondary programs and courses to adult learners in the Ponoka area without students having to leave their home community,” says Joel Ward, CAC Board Chair and Red Deer College President.

The Ponoka Adult Learning Council is partnering with CAC.

Adult Learning will offer programs at the CAC learning centre this fall that will help students complete necessary pre-requisites to enrol in postsecondary programs offered by CAC.

A Heavy Equipment Operators course will be available at the learning centre in the fall of 2019 and a Health Care Aide Certificate program will be offered in the winter of 2020.

The Ponoka Jubilee Library is also moving into the new building this fall.

In addition to extended hours, new programming at the library will include YOGA Storytime for children, a Filipino language story time, a new program for moms and babies, regular documentary and Indigenous film screenings, and a new hands-on science and technology program for kids ages 6 to 10.

Next door to the new civic building, a 5,000 square-foot care home being built by the Lacombe Action Group for the Handicapped is also nearing completion.

“We are on target to complete construction and to move in this fall. We will begin recruiting and advertising for staff in August,” says Debbie Martin, Executive Director of Lacombe Action Group.

The care home will house up to eight individuals with developmental disabilities and employ up to 50 people, including mental health professionals, human resources personnel and domestic staff.

(Gary McKinnon)