Behind this Red Deer theatre's curtain lies a WW II drill hall

For 75 years, the Red Deer Memorial Centre has been a big part of Central Alberta's art scene. But behind the curtain also lies a wartime history. I want to take you back in the time machine to 1940. During the Second World War, this building was a drill hall for the A-20 training camp, a bustling base where young recruits prepared for the front lines. In 1951, the hall was converted into an auditorium to honor the lives of local service members in the First and Second World Wars. On November 14, the Center is celebrating its 75th anniversary. They had a grand opening in 1951 and today, 75 years later, we are celebrating that transformation. Longtime patron Robin Armitage first stepped through these doors with her mother when she was 11 years old. Over the decades, she watched country music stars like Charley Pride perform here and even got autographs backstage from Johnny Cash and the Stetler brothers. But it was like probably one of the most exciting things that ever happened to me. But for her, the hall has a deeper, personal connection. To be able to have such good memories of it. Murray's dad trained here, and luckily he came back, but so many. That military presence fundamentally reshaped the city. Gillian Stanek is City of Red Deer Archives coordinator. She says when Canada joined the war, the quiet prairie community transformed quickly. For military preparation, Red Deer was one of many centres that were spun up in 1940. Then as it became the A20 camp, it became specialised into more command training Thank you. and it became even more important for the country. Between 1936 and 1946, the town's population nearly doubled, from 2,300 to 4,000 people. Restaurants were full, hotels were full, some of the soldiers brought their families, so schools were suddenly overfull. Today, patrons who walk through these lobby doors pass a memorial plaque etched with the names of local soldiers. For Vaughan, it's about keeping their stories alive. As we remember a somber moment of recent, recent days with what happened in Wainwright, we need to stop and just remember how grateful we are to our Canadian military and the vast contribution they have made. Since Confederation, I don't know if there's words to say enough how important that is. Nadir Hashmi, CBC News, Red Deer.