Salmon Arm residents raise money to renovate Gleneden Community Hall

Residents in Salmon Arm, B.C., are fundraising to repair and upgrade Gleneden Community Hall, the city’s only community hall. Local organizers say the building needs improvements to better serve the area after decades of use. The planned work includes a wheelchairaccessible bathroom upstairs, kitchen upgrades and a stage, with the project estimated to cost about $300,000. The hall board says the city owns the building, but municipal officials have said there is no current budget to cover the full renovation cost. To help pay for the project, residents have started bottle drives, applied for grants and organized a benefit concert running from May 1 to 3. Supporters say the upgrades would make the hall more inclusive and useful for events such as dances, concerts, sports and community gatherings, with the aim of completing the renovations by the hall’s 100th anniversary in 2029.