Feature Article
PROVINCE PONIES UP $21 MILLION FOR CENTRIUM: 1988
Written By: Michael Dawe
Published By: Red Deer Advocate Centennial Book
Article Used with permission. © Copyright Michael Dawe and the Red Deer Advocate, 2007
2007-01-01
; "Province ponies up $21 million for Centrium")
The festivities commenced on New Year’s Eve with fireworks, free food, balloons, and music for a crowd of around 4,000 at the Bower Ponds.
Special 75th anniversary ambassadors were announced at a special reception at the Cronquist House.
They were Kay Taylor and Lee Moschenross. Both had been born in Red Deer in 1913, when Red Deer became a city and had been residents of the community ever since.
In June, the Towne Centre Association hosted a number of events including a promenade dance, Red Deer Royals concert in City Hall Park and a classic car display.
The main festivities were planned for the Heritage Day long weekend from July 30-August 1.
Unfortunately, heavy rains caused the cancellation and postponement of many events.
However, some ceremonies, fireworks and servings of birthday cake were held in front of City Hall Park on the following Sunday.
More than 4,000 people turned out for the party.
While Red Deer was finishing the special 75th anniversary celebrations, it received a surprise gift from the provincial government.
On Aug. 1, Lotteries Minister Rick Orman announced $21 million of lottery funding was to be provided for the construction of a coliseum/agritrade complex.
It was to be a big boost to Red Deer’s status as a regional trade and convention centre.
Hopes for such a facility had been around since the plans were developed for the new Westerner Exhibition grounds on the south side of the city.
However, with the challenges and costs of the relocation project, only a portion of the planned facilities had been built.
With the downturn of the economy in the early 1980s and the tightening of government budgets, it seemed that any new buildings would be on hold for a very long time.
Red Deer’s Centrium can accommodate more than 6,000 spectators for Rebels games. It’s also used
Meanwhile, use of the Westerner grounds continued to grow.
The first Agri-Trade Exposition was held in October 1984. There were plans to build up this annual event into a world-class agricultural trade show that would eventually rival or even surpass trade exhibitions held in such places as Regina.
However, much larger facilities would be needed to realize this dream.
Moreover, with the growth of the city, there was a strong need to greatly improve its indoor sporting facilities.
The old Red Deer Arena, which had been built in 1955, was increasingly inadequate with its 2,800 seats.
The Kinex and Kin City Ice Centre provided additional indoor ice, but virtually nothing in the way of spectator accommodations.
Now, with the provincial government’s welcome announcement, plans could proceed to build the needed coliseum and exhibition complex.
Red Deer city council agreed to commit up to $7 million as its contribution to the project, while the county later promised $400,000.
Under the plans adopted, the coliseum was to have 6,000 permanent seats with another 1,500 temporary ones.
A 40,000-square-foot exhibition pavilion would be constructed, linking the coliseum with the existing Altaplex complex with its two exhibition pavilions.
The name selected for the coliseum was "the Centrium."
Although the choice was controversial, the building’s backers felt it was appropriate.
"Cen" denoted the facilities key location in Central Alberta and the fact that it was built during the Westerner Exposition’s centennial year.
"Tri" indicated that there were three components to the complex and that funding came from three government sources; "ium" was derived from the usual suffix for large sports and convention facilities.
Moreover, the name sounded august and, as such, reflected the tremendous importance of the new complex to the Westerner and its future prospects.
That importance was borne out over the next several years. Agri-Trade has become the preeminent agricultural trade show in Western Canada.
In 1992, the Red Deer Rebels hockey team started and has become one of the most popular and successful sports franchises in Red Deer’s history.
Most remarkably, in its more than 15 years of operation, the Centrium and Westerner Exposition have not run a deficit, an accomplishment not shared by most major sports and exhibition complexes in Canada.
This article was written by Michael Dawe for the Red Deer Advocate’s Centennial Book. The Heritage Community Foundation would like to thank Michael Dawe and the Red Deer Advocate for permission to reprint these materials online. Please visit the Red Deer Advocate online.The images in the article are part of the collection of the Red Deer Archives. Please visit them online.