The Morse Community Hall is getting an update, thanks to some help from Co-op. 

Co-op has agreed to send the Morse Community Hall Committee $30,000, which they will be spending with Pioneer Co-op to fix the facility. 

The floor in the community hall has been getting pretty near worn out for a while. Thanks to the Co-op Community Spaces Grant, of which Morse was selected, the community hall will be able to replace the old vinyl tile with vinyl plank flooring. 

Wayne Leisle, chairman of the Morse Community Hall Committee, applied for the grant himself. When he found out they had been approved, it made his day. 

"We were questioning how we were going to raise the money to replace the floor in the community hall," said Leisle. "It worked out really great. It was quite a surprise to receive it."

The existing flooring is close to 50 years old. It has begun to lift in places, creating a tripping hazard. This is especially concerning for seniors, who have been using the hall for functions for decades. 

Now, with the help of Pioneer Co-op, the hall will get a new lease on life. 

"It's a wonderful thing," said Leisle. "It's something that's going to help and benefit everybody in the community, young and old."

Helping out with the process and presenting the cheque will be Dallas Kirkpatrick, marketing manager for Pioneer Co-op. He explained how Federated Co-op runs this grant, giving out $1 million to various community projects. After selecting recipients, a local Co-op team presents the cheque to the winner. 

"There's hundreds of applicants every year," said Kirkpatrick. "Morse Community Hall was selected, and was the only one from Pioneer Co-op's trading area."

Spending the money at Pioneer Co-op is not a condition of the contract, which would let them spend the money anywhere so long as it goes to the flooring expenses. It just so happens that Pioneer Co-op was a local option that included the expert consultants and suppliers that Morse required. 

"I don't think [the funding will] cover 100 per cent of the project," hedged Kirkpatrick. "It'll be close, but they'll have to come up with some extra funding."

The work is forecasted to be completed in either late August or early September. For now, Leisle and other users of the shared space are very grateful for the help they have received in this grant funding. 

"A special thanks to the Co-op," said Leisle. "It's going to be great working with you, getting this done."