This summer, Condor residents will be enjoying some major upgrades to the new Condor Recreation Area.
The $97,000 project next to Charlotte Small Elementary School—features a brand-new shale baseball diamond with modern dugouts and an upgraded backstop, freshly painted rink boards, refurbished grandstand seating, improved lighting, and a refreshed look designed to complement the new school next door.
“Our community was really fortunate to get a brand new school build in our area,” said Penni Lougheed, president of the Condor Community Centre. “So in order to match the facilities to this brand new school, we had to do a major renovation and add some new facilities to the area”
Work on the project began in 2022 after the previous shale diamond was removed during the construction of the new school. A new diamond was built on another part of the grounds, and the rink saw significant improvements.
Local groups including Condor Ball, Clearwater County, Wild Rose School Division (WRSD), and the David Thompson Recreation Board helped support the effort alongside local businesses like Wayne Pidherney Welding (WPW) and a group of volunteers and parents from the school’s parent council.
Funding came in part from the provincial Community Facility Enhancement Program (CFEP), which provided over $40,000 toward the project.
During the May 10 grand opening, MLA Jason Nixon joined community volunteers for a ceremonial ribbon cutting. Also in attendance were WRSD Superintendent Brad Volkman, Clearwater County Councillor Daryl Lougheed, WRSD Director of Maintenance and Facilities Mike Lundstrom, and David Thompson Recreation Board President Evan Whitecotten.
Dignitaries cut the ribbon at the newly renovated Condor Recreation Area, May 10, 2025. (Penni Lougheed/provided)
Lougheed said the project overall is a testament to the power of community collaboration and the impact of partnerships with parents, staff, organizations, local government and volunteers.
“It does take a very strong sense of commitment and cooperation to achieve some of these goals,” she said. “We were able to transform that area to serve our community for a very long time.”
The renovations also serve as an example of recent efforts to bolster Joint Use Planning Agreements (JUPA) between Clearwater County and WRSD, with the goal of maximizing shared infrastructure that benefits both students and residents.
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While locals and visitors have been using the new space already, Lougheed says there’s still more to come.
“We’re looking ahead at improving the area around the rink and exploring the possibility of adding public washrooms.”
(Penni Lougheed/provided)
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