The Ferrier Community Association is asking Clearwater County for $322,000 to finish construction of the community hall — and says the county could eventually recover part of the cost.
During a Dec. 9 delegation, association members Grant Anderson and Brian Halliday also requested a letter of support for a January 2026 application to the province’s Community Facility Enhancement Program (CFEP). The grant request is for $125,000. If approved, the money would not arrive until about July 2026. The association says that if the CFEP grant is successful, it would repay $125,000 of the county’s contribution.
The remaining work on the hall is estimated at $437,000. With $95,000 in cash on hand, the association still needs $342,000. Some of that shortfall is expected to be offset by new fundraising, including about $20,000 from a January 2026 casino event.
The group hopes the additional funding will allow construction to continue through 2026 and that the hall could open as early as June, in time to capture summer rental revenue. A previous CFEP application for $125,000 was rejected earlier this fall because insufficient progress had been made in 2024–25 and the association lacked a completion timeline due to funding shortages.
Ferrier Community Hall construction as seen in 2024. (94.5 Rewind Radio)
A report to council noted that major components still need to be completed, including lighting and electrical work, plumbing and gas lines, a water heater and other fixtures, HVAC installation, and a septic field.
The association cautioned council that costs continue to climb and are expected to rise further. The hall project has been underway since 2016 and has faced numerous setbacks, including pandemic-related price increases, U.S. tariffs and updated building code requirements that classify halls as ‘places of refuge’, requiring materials to be 25 per cent stronger.
Another challenge arose in spring 2025, when the previous council declined to increase its earlier commitment of $200,000.
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The old Ferrier Community Hall was torn down in 2020. (Ferrier Community Association)
“When we started this project, it seemed achievable,” Anderson told council. “But, unfortunately, due to unforseen circumstances, this is no longer the case.”
At its Dec. 9 meeting, council passed two motions: that the association provide a detailed construction-cost report, and that administration issue a letter of support for the CFEP application.
Coun. Hazen Letwin emphasized he does not want to commit to funding until after budget deliberations.
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