Keystone Centre celebrates five decades

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This article was published 17/06/2024 (565 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A bit of spitting rain wasn’t enough to dampen spirits as the Keystone Centre celebrated 50 years in business on Saturday.

General manager Connie Lawrence told the assembled crowd that while the venue is closer to 52 years old in reality, they’re not counting the COVID years in determining the half-century milestone.

The greenspace around the venue’s outdoor stage was a hub of activity, as families checked out food vendors, inflatable attractions, a thrift market under the reception tent, classic cars parked in a row and assorted musical performances starting at 2 p.m.

Heritage Co-op’s Barry Cooper, a former president of the Brandon Chamber of Commerce, said the roughly 700 hot dogs his team brought to serve to visitors for free ran out in just 80 minutes.

“We were thrilled to sponsor the hot dogs and have such a big turnout,” he said.

Towards the end of the afternoon, a few dignitaries like Mayor Jeff Fawcett, Brandon East NDP MLA Glen Simard, Brandon-Souris Conservative MP Larry Maguire, Keystone board chair and city councillor Bruce Luebke (Ward 6) and Westoba Credit Union CEO Jim Rediger.

Maguire spoke of the Keystone and the facilities that preceded it being a hub for not just Brandon, but for Westman, Eastern Saskatchewan and even parts of North Dakota.

“We all talk about needing good health facilities, good schools in our regions to attract people, but the Keystone Centre has been doing this for at least five decades,” Maguire said. “This has been a hub that I can remember coming to the summer fairs here many many decades ago with my parents and it’s just a tremendous tribute to those who had the vision to put this facility together.”

As provincial Minister of Sport, Culture and Heritage, Simard said he was excited to have Manitoba-grown talent like Brandon’s own Boy Golden, and Winnipeg’s Begonia and FONTINE performing at the concert.

“You look back and there was a lot of discussion as to whether or not you should actually build the Keystone Centre and I can’t imagine Brandon without (it),” Simard said. “I know (Municipal Relations) Minister Bushie is extremely passionate about the Keystone Centre and what we can do to help it for the next 50 years.”

Fawcett reminisced about playing hockey at the site as a child and spoke of the facility’s importance to the city.

“The Keystone Centre brings agriculture here,” he said. “It brings recreation here, it brings entertainment here and then it intertwines all three of them all the time and it’s a fantastic facility.”

Rediger said Westoba invests in the Keystone Centre because it provides tangible representation of the credit union’s values in action. Westoba sponsors both Westoba Place, where the Brandon Wheat Kings play, and the Westoba Agricultural Centre of Excellence at the venue.

“We are committed to helping to build strong communities and supporting projects that matter to our members,” Rediger said. “Every event hosted in conjunction with this facility is an opportunity for community members to come together and to build connections.”

Luebke gave credit for the venue’s success to its staff and encouraged visitors to the event to provide feedback on the long-term plan it is developing for its future.

Lawrence spoke of the centre’s contribution to the community.

“It really shows what the Keystone Centre means to everyone,” she said of the turnout to the event. “It’s so heartwarming that everybody’s in the park and enjoying everything here today.”

The first musical act to take the stage was FONTINE. Fireworks were scheduled to take place at the end of the night.

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