Happy Heritage Day! Here at the RDCHS, we are fortunate to be surrounded by reminders of our heritage every day. From operating the historic Cronquist House and Festival Hall, to sharing the Cronquist family history, to the diverse cultural backgrounds of our member groups, heritage is so much of what we stand for that it is in our name. We want to do more to celebrate it. The Cronquist House basement will soon accommodate exhibits celebrating beautiful Canada and our wonderful world. We hope to have these exhibits open for Canada Winter Games 2019. Although we are celebrating our personal heritages with our families today, we're interested in celebrating with all of you next year! We would love to hear your suggestions for this event, and for how else you would like to see us celebrate heritage in the coming year. Photo courtesy of Gilles Theriault.
Festival Hall first opened in 1940 as part of a Non-Permanent Active Militia Training Centre, the next year becoming an advanced training camp for the Royal Canadian Army Service Corps. The facility's name was changed to the A-20 Army Camp. Soldiers came to Red Deer to learn skills for map reading, using weapons, defending against gas attacks, and equipment management, supply and repair. The A-20 Army Camp closed at the end of WWII. In 1950 the east drill hall of the camp was converted into an auditorium, and a gymnasium for the Composite High School (now Lindsay Thurber Composite High School), opening the following fall. In 1992, the Red Deer Cultural Heritage Society acquired Festival Hall. In the same vein of renovating the Cronquist House, they proceeded to renovate the old gymnasium and turned it into a warm and attractive community hall.
