The Agriculture Society takes over the facility during the Northwest Roundup and Exhibition. They fed over 700 people for Safe Grad earlier this year. People play pickleball in the facility, and they host Folkfest. That's only a few of the happenings going on at the Swan River Community Centre.
Darren Chmelowski is coming up on two years as the Centre's president. He got involved with the vision of making the facility a hot spot in the community. The facility also features the community's curling rink.
Darren says a lot of progress has been made over the last two years.
"We really don't have anything other than our Veterans Hall for big events, and it doesn't hold the number of people we can hold," said Chmelowski. "A lot of the service groups jumped on board here, and they rent our ice surface and host pancake breakfasts. We have Fish Enhancement do a big fish fry. We also have our outdoor club that hosts an annual function. The more we can get people coming in the doors, the better."
As you can imagine, it's not a cheap facility to run. In the winter, hydro is approximately $7,000. They also pay for their liquor license, taxes, and staffing, among other costs.
To help ease some of the financial burden, Mayor Lance Jacobson presented Chmelowski with a $4,000 cheque. The funds will go towards the Centre's operational costs, building maintenance, and community programs. The Town of Swan River said they're pleased to help an organization that provides recreational activities and boosts social connections in the community.
Chmelowski says every dime they receive is great.
"It's a big bonus. It shows that the town cares about our community centre," added Chmelowski. "That's why we don't call this building the curling club; we're the community centre. When the town jumps on board like that, it's a big bonus for us."
In March, the Community Centre will host Curl Manitoba's senior men's and women's provincial championships. They're looking for volunteers for that event. So if you're interested in helping out, message Darren here.
He said it's going to be a special event and a great chance to showcase the community.
"Oh, definitely. We hosted the mixed championships a couple of years ago, and it was a great turnout," ended Chmelowski. "It puts us on the map and keeps us there. The more we can stay involved, the better. We are so far away; we call it Perimeter vision, it seems everything happens in the Winnipeg area. If we can host events like this and get those people out here, show off our facility, maybe we can host more events in the future."
Swan River's community hub is booming, and Darren invites you to be a part of the magic. You can also rent the facility for your event.
