Like many volunteer organizations, the Roe Lake & District Recreation Commission has experienced the natural cycle of member turnover, with new people bringing fresh ideas and energy—this is how organizations evolve and grow. A significant turning point came in 2002 when Tim Ruscheinsky became president. The community hall, rebuilt in 1990, was in dire need of updates as minimal repairs had been made since its construction. At the time, the society was struggling to keep the doors open, with rental income and fundraising efforts consumed by rising insurance costs. Several grant applications for capital improvements were rejected, prompting the idea of applying for registered charity status under the Federal Government.
Becoming a registered charity would allow the society to issue tax-deductible receipts for donations and open doors to more granting opportunities, as many funders only support registered charities. In 2009, the Roe Lake & District Recreation Commission successfully achieved Federal Charity status. However, to meet funding requirements, the society had to divest certain programming functions to another group, leading to the formation of the Interlakes Community Association. These two societies now operate closely together, sharing the same membership, board of directors, and executive.
A pivotal moment came in 2008 when Jim Zailo brought a newspaper clipping about a Kraft Canada grant for community sports centers. This sparked an application that resulted in a $25,000 grant to help upgrade the ball diamonds. This was a game-changer—leveraging that initial $25,000 led to $172,500 in grants over the following six years, enabling significant renovations to the hall and the construction of two new ball fields with irrigation.
The hall underwent a major reconfiguration to improve accessibility, with updated washrooms and a kitchen that now functions as an outdoor concession stand. A new storage room was added to house tables, chairs, and provide storage for regular user groups. The facility also received energy-efficient lighting and updates to the electric furnaces. The kitchen is being modernized to meet commercial standards. Over six years, work was completed step by step as funds allowed, with over 2,500 hours of volunteer labor, countless hours of donated machinery time, and generous contributions from local businesses and residents.
This renovation project exemplifies the spirit of the community—a commitment to "helping your community to make a better community."
