Evergreen Park was recognized this past week by the Province of Alberta by receiving the Agriculture Society Award. Grande Prairie – Wapiti MLA Travis Toews presented the Agriculture Society Award to the park’s previous General Manager Dan Gorman, along with the new General Manager Kim Randall to celebrate the different ways they continued to serve the community during the pandemic.
“Some examples of their exemplary work include hosting viewings with their outdoor drive-in movie theatre, offering a safe place for families to have fun, allowing schools to use the outdoor fitness rink and this is to just name a few,” Toews says.
Gorman, who is now a consultant with the park, says that these initiatives and programs were made possible by having weekly meetings.
“We discussed different ways to keep ourselves viable in the community, and supportive of the community. While keeping as many of our staff working with us and on board as we could,” Gorman says.
Gorman explains that several different programs went on during the pandemic, from the weekly individual take-out meals, partnering with Elevation Sled dogs to give tours around the park, completing the disc golf course, and more. He says that they also were able to do maintenance work that was needed around the facility.
“We also upgraded and repaired all those little areas that we weren’t able to do when we were busy,” Gorman says. “Some of our staff became carpenters, or plumbers, or operational staff. Just so that we could be ready to service our guests when we were working fully, and to also keep as many of our staff with us throughout the pandemic.”
Gorman says the award truly is a team award because it was in the weekly meetings with the management team that these ideas were discussed and planned.