Our History

The Arts Centre for Edson Society was founded in October 2007 and is made up of hardworking arts-enthusiasts from the Town of Edson and Yellowhead County. ACES mandate is to advocate for the arts and culture community of Edson and area, and for the future development of a new performing arts facility in Edson.

Since 2007, ACES has lobbied local governments on the importance of developing a new performing arts centre and the advantages it would bring to the community.

Below is some important information from ACES history.

  • October 2007:ACE (Arts Centre for Edson) is founded by numerous arts-orientated volunteers from Edson.
    •  
  • January 2008: Research completed on comparable communities with regards to a theatre and having an Arts Coordinator in their communities.
    •  
  • May 2008: Information gathering session held to gain input from community members on the future development of a new performing arts centre.
    •  
  • August 2008: ACE’s members travel to nine communities around Alberta surveying different theatre concepts.
    •  
  • March 2009: The Town of Edson grants ACE $25,000 to develop preliminary architectural drawings of a new arts centre.
    •  
  • September 2009: Second information gathering held to gain input from community members on the future development of a new performing arts centre.
    •  
  • September 2009: ACE incorporated as a society; renamed Arts Centre for Edson Society (ACES).
    •  
  • April 2010: Plans unveiled for stand-alone arts facility with a 500 seat theatre, art gallery, art studios and pottery centre.
    •  
  • September 2010: ACES partners with the Town of Edson to receive a grant from the Alberta Government to construct an outdoor pavilion in the RCMP Centennial Park.
    •  
  • January 2011: ACES turn their focus from a stand-along facility to attaching an arts centre to the Edson & District Recreation Complex; begin partnering with the Edson & District Recreation Society.
    •  
  • June 2011: Plans unveiled for a 500 seat to be attached to the Edson & District Recreation Complex. The Town of Edson Council accepts the design in principle.
    •  
  • Summer 2011: ACES volunteers for the Rotary Sundays in the Park events. They will continue to do this every summer.
    •  
  • September 2011: ACES launches their Facebook page.
    •  
  • December 2011: Edson Town Council advises ACES and the Friends of the Fieldhouse Committee to work together; this partnership was rejected by the Friends of the Fieldhouse Committee.
    •  
  • January 2012: ACES launches their website.
    •  
  • April 2012: Plans unveiled to attach a 500 seat theatre to the Edson & District Recreation Complex.
    •  
  • November 2013: After months of work, ACES releases their Business Plan.
    •  
  • November 2014: Edson Town Council releases a statement that they will begin work on a capital project within the year and they will form a working group to guide the process.
    •  
  • January 2015: ACES contacts Edson Town Council to let them know that they are willing to work together on the capital project.
    •  
  • February 2015: ACES is granted charitable status.
    •  
  • September 2015: ACES makes a presentation to Edson Town Council where it is discovered that Town Council will not proceeding with a capital project at this time and that the statement from November should not have been released.
    •  
  • January 2016: The Town of Edson takes over ownership of the Edson & District Recreation Complex.
    •  
  • January 2016: ACES talks with the Baptist Church as a possible location; either a new build or a renovation of the existing church. As ACES has no funds to purchase this site, this idea has never fallen through.
    •  
  • March 2017: ACES meets with the Edson Cultural Historic Organization (ECHO) about the possibility of renovating the Red Brick Arts Centre to include a bigger theatre. ECHO rejected this offer in April.
    •  
  • March 2017: ACES was granted funding through the Centurion Club of Edson for lobbying purposes.
    •  
  • April 2017: ACES takes part in the Strategic Planning survey conducted by the Town of Edson and Yellowhead County.
    •  
  • September 2017: The results of the Strategic Planning survey are released.
    •  
  • November 2017: ACES decides to redevelop their Business Plan into a Vision Plan. They will create a new design based on the recommendations from the Community Strategic Plan. These recommendations are to build a 250 to 300 seat theatre within a new multiplex or attached to a local school.
    •  
  • February 2018: Edson Town Council and Yellowhead County Council decide to partner on a multiplex facility and move ahead with finding a site.
    •  
  • February 2018: ACES approves their Vision Plan.

 

Photo Courtesy of Adrienne Tait