Chrystal Bressette Photo

Construction is underway on the new pavilion in Alvinston.

The Alvinston Optimists have been working on renovations to the Brooke-Alvinston-Inwood Community Centre since 2015. Plans to renovate the arena morphed
to a pavilion attached to the centre with washroom facilities. Thursday, the Optimists and the municipality signed an agreement to build the structure. By that evening, members of the club were turning the sod.

Optimist member and Municipal Councillor Jamie Armstrong says they’re excited to see work begin. “It’s just been such a long drawn out procedure that everybody’s pretty excited. And we just want to kind of celebrate.”

The Optimists have raised about
$100,000 for the project and a private donor has loaned $100,000 to the club for the project. “Then we will just pay it back as we get there,” says Armstrong. He expects construction will take six to eight weeks.

Pictured here are in the front, Mark Timmermans, Jeff McLachlin, Andy Triest, Les Douglas and Chad Hayter. In the back row are Dan Cumming, Tony Straatman, Kyle McEachren and Armstrong.