TheStandard Community Facility Enhancement Society filled its summer full of memories, working hard on ‘Memory Lane.’
The Mail reported in the spring of 2018 the Society received a funding boost from CHS Ag Services to work on its Memory Lane project. They have continued to work hard fundraising and this summer they saw the fruits of their labour with great progress on the project.
The vision of Memory Lane is an interpretive trail encircling the village celebrating the history of the village. The work began on the stretch of CPR land on the south end of the village donated in 1923. This year they cut in the trail and put in a gravel base. They have also installed five bridges along the walkway
The society also enhanced the landscape with flora, fauna, and artifacts including the original speeder shack. Most recently a caboose was brought to the site.
Member of the Enhancement Society, Don Sundgaard, is humble about the society’s accomplishments.
‘We always figured we needed to do more,” he said of the busy summer.
With the path base in place, they are looking to have it paved next summer and are hoping they can realize some savings by working with nearby paving projects in the area.
Next year they are looking at fixing up the speedster shack.
“One of our directors has agreed to take it on and restore it,” said Sundgaard. “We just acquired an old grain wagon this week, so we are going to restore that over the next year.”
At about the midpoint of the trail they have has created a space where Sundgaard says they will be doing a “mock-up” of the original railroad station.
“It is being done by the grandson of the fellow who lived in the station that was operated by his father for 27 years. He also contributed the caboose,” he said.
In the meantime, they will continue to fundraise and have been receiving a number of memorial donations for the installation.
“This is what we are looking at over the next couple of years. It will be 1.1 kilometres long when we are done the first phase. If we get some more enthusiasm from other directors and people in the town, we have the potential to make a four kilometre long path,” he said.