Knottwood Community League celebrates grand opening of new facility

The Knottwood Community League opened the doors to its new building Saturday that will serve the next generations of south Edmonton residents.

Serving Satoo, Ekota, and Menisa, the league had been fundraising for years to build a new community space.

Thomas Shaw, community league president, told CTV News Edmonton that the league previously used a 1976 bungalow to host programming.

"It was just a very difficult space to bring people together," Shaw said. "So now, building a 6,000-square foot structure for everyone to enjoy is a dream to come true."

Apart from the aging structure, Shaw said presented accessibility challenges preventing everyone from enjoying it.

"This is something we've been striving for, for the past five years," he added. "Other boards for the past 40. It's monumental. It feels great."

A celebration was hosted Saturday, featuring a BBQ and street performers to mark the occasion. The day also marked Community League Day, a celebration of around 100 years of history and 162 different leagues across the city.

The first community league opened in 1923 in King Edward Park.

The modernization project was aided by funding from the city, province, and federal government.

Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi said the project was a perfect example of government working together to help serve communities.

"This is exactly what we do," Sohi said. "We want to empower communities to do more."

"It's a really a wonderful partnership between the city and the community."