The Nampa and District Historical Society is one of five Alberta organizations that will share $100,000 in UFA’s Rural Communities Foundation funding for 2021.
The RCF’s mandate is to improve the sustainability of farmers and ranchers in Alberta by improving access to funding for educational, recreational and cultural facilities and programs in the province.
The Nampa and District Historical Society is receiving the largest lump-some amount out of the $100,000 this year.
$30,000 will be used towards converting the historical United Church in Nampa into a community cultural centre, that will be wheelchair accessible.
Museum Director of the Nampa and District Museum, Carson Murphy says “it feels great”, referring to when they found out their grant application was successful.
“It’s great to see that the north has some recognition this year.”
The United Church is owned by the Historical Society and is located on the northeast corner of 99 Street and 100 Avenue in the village of Nampa.
“It’s re-purposing an old building that has long had an important social and community function in the village. So this kind of re-purposes the building, renews that community function, get to save an old building and offer new ways of using it and new ways for the community to engage in it.”
Murphy is expecting the grant money to be received later this fall. There’s a two year project deadline with construction hopefully starting in the spring of 2022; Murphy says as long as everything falls into place most of it should be completed next year.
Nothing is set in stone for what the future community cultural centre will host, but Murphy suggests it may have community suppers, farmers markets, art shows and museum programming.
Nampa United Church circa. 1970’s. Structure was completed in 1949, with the tower being removed in 1989.
Nampa United Church circa. 2020.
-Erika Rolling, Trending 55 Newsroom
