The Smithers Rotary Club's pavilion at the fall fairgrounds is in desperate need of a new roof.
Gayle Lunn with the Rotary said the roof has outlived its life for some time now, but the club has always put other organizations' needs before their own.
But now she said it is overdue and time.
"So shockingly, the existing roof was installed back in 1987 so it's actually 37 years old," she said. "So it is really is in dire need of replacement for structural but also for safety reasons. It's one of those projects that, for our organization, tends to get delayed because most of our conversations are about funding other projects and other initiatives that are happening in town. So it's sort of like the shoemaker who pays attention to their own shoes last."
The pavilion is well used during the Fall Fair with annual attendance of approximately 40,000 people over the four-day period. During this time, Rotary estimates serving meals and snacks to approximately 7,000 individuals (families, adults, youth, seniors, rodeo contestants, support staff, sponsors, vendors and volunteers).
During the Midsummer Music Festival, the Pavilion serves as a central hub for volunteers and performers to enjoy meals and coordinate activities. At other times throughout year, the Pavilion acts as an informal gathering space for groups including 4H and the Friendship Centre.
"It's important to Rotary in terms of being a meeting place for us, it is a gathering place for our meetings during the summer months," Lunn explained.
"Probably more importantly, it supports our mandate of serving the community, and because the fairgrounds are such a big space for all kinds of community events, from Midsummer Music Festival to, of course, fall fair, but also throughout the year for all the clubs and groups that actually meet down in that area, including some equestrian clubs. It's a cooking pavilion that hosts full cooking and serving facilities, but it's also a covered seating area, so it is accessible to groups to casually meet formally."
The entire project, including adding proper eavestroughing and downspouts for maintenance will cost around $25,000. The hope is to have the work done before summer.
Smithers town council recently directed staff to provide a letter of support to the Rotary Club of Smithers for their grant application with the Northern Development Initiative Trust.
The club is a non-profit organization in Smithers, established to raise, fund and volunteer time on projects, and programs in the communities of Smithers, Telkwa, Witset, the Hazeltons, Houston and Granisle.
