The Frank Wills Memorial Hall celebrated 25 years in Cochrane with a community event on April 12, and possibly an impending name change.
Margaret Peach, president of the Frank Wills Memorial Society, was a featured speaker during the celebration, which included cake and a huge helping of nostalgia as those involved with the hall from its earliest conception recalled the two decades it took to fundraise for and finally get built.
“Frank Mills had a little sawmill outside of town,” recalled Peach. “He was the Scouting Commissioner. At one point, his territory went right to the B.C. border. He was also a Scout trainer. He died quite a long time ago in 1979, I believe. His wife really wanted to do something in his memory. Maureen Wills was a town councillor for two terms. She was on the FCSS board. Maureen Wills was involved in the formation of just about every community group in this town …. And she was behind just about every good thing we have in this town. She was so determined to build this hall, and she didn’t let it rest until it happened.”
Originally envisioned as a Scout Hall, the Frank Wills Memorial Hall has become an integral part of the community during the past 25 years hosting a variety of clubs, events and celebrations.
“Such a variety of things happen here, and that is exactly what a community hall is supposed to be,” said Coun. Susan Flowers, who was also a special guest speaker during the 25 year celebrations. “This hall didn’t just come into being without an effort. It is the result of one woman’s dream. Maureen Wills was a visionary who believed in the importance of community. She loved Cochrane dearly, and she believed this town needed our hall.”
One surprise speaker during Saturday’s event was Kathleen Wills, who once served as vice-chair of the hall board and worked alongside her mother to erect the hall in memory of her late father, who died when she was quite young. Wills appeared virtually from her new home in Georgia.
Wills said she was grateful to the community for supporting her mother, who died in 2019, and her mother’s dream.
“Thank you to the board, and thank you to the staff,” she said. “Without their continued dedication to the hall and to the community, and to the memory of my mom and dad, I really don’t think this hall would be where it is today.”
Wills also dropped another piece of information in her speech. According to Wills, a potential name change is in the offing. Instead of the Frank Wills Memorial Hall, the hall will be redubbed the Wills Community Hall, honouring both the memory of her father and now her late mother as well.
“If I were describe mom and dad, they were about community,” she said.”They were about Cochrane. They were about the people, and to upgrade the name to the Wills Community Hall seems like the perfect name, and a perfect time to do it after 25 years.”
