Help keep the lodge at Beaver Creek's Camp Kiwanis

Beaver Creek Park is about to lose a beautiful icon and the best used venue for weddings, youth groups and reunions. It is the Beaver Lodge. Built in 1974 and opened in 1976, this log structure has been used by over a 100,000 people in the past 50-plus years. Many memories were born in the lodge, but the fate of a lodge is now in the hands of Hill County voters.

Within a year or two the lodge will need to come down due rotting logs, walls moving because of age, weight from the roof and snow. Around 2009, rotting logs were replaced, logs still in decent shape were refurbished and work was done to strengthen the walls. The lodge once again is in need of repair, rotting logs, rain coming in through cracked logs creating further damage to the structure. Currently the walls are being held up with columns and floor jacks placed under ceiling beams, angle iron screwed on the walls and plates with cables and turn buckles to keep the walls from moving out. In 2021 the Hill County Park Board brought in an engineer and architect to design another restoration project. The estimated cost would be between $400,000 to $500,000 to bring the lodge into compliance, refurbish the logs and walls. The park board realized that fixing the lodge with the current logs with significant decay and age, would not last becoming a financial burden again. At the July 11, 2022, Hill County Park Board meeting, the board passed a request to the Hill County Commissioner to levy taxes to fund a new lodge. On the Nov. 8 ballot, there is a mill levy, Resolution 22-2696 for 3 mills for 15 years. That will be $127,363.00 per year for 15 years to pay for a new facility.

A new lodge needs to be built rather than spending more money on fixing and re-fixing the logs and walls. The design of the new lodge would still have a rustic look that will blend in with Camp Kiwanis and the Bear Paw Mountains. How exciting to build a beautiful new lodge that will meet building codes for fire suppression, wiring, plumbing, bathrooms. Amenities could include a kitchen that would have commercial gas stove/hood, sinks, dishwasher, food preparation islands, and food pantry. There could be a mud room to house a washer and dryer, janitorial supplies and storage for tables and chairs. The dining area could be made larger, a garage door for loading and unloading supplies, an outdoor patio with a roof, outdoor barbecue/fire pit and tables with umbrellas would expand opportunities for the lodge. An upstairs that would have three small bedrooms, a common space and shared bathroom with shower could make the lodge more useful. The new lodge could be used year-round, insulated, with heat, air conditioning and ceiling fans. A design has not been drawn up yet, but once the mill levy passes, you know that will be the first item of business for the park board.

As most of you know, the park does not receive any tax dollars for maintenance. It is self-sufficient with revenue generated from park permits, reserved sites, cabin leases, cattle grazing, haying and the lodge. The lodge hosts nearly 20 camps per year, generating about $42,000 this summer. The park cannot afford to lose that amount of revenue and remain self-sufficient.

As I stated earlier, the lodge has brought in an estimated 100,000 people to Havre, estimated 1,000 camps with over 100 people per camp. If these people spent $100 in Havre during their stay, grocery stores, gas stations, shopping, restaurants and hotels/motels, etc., the economy of Havre and Hill County was boosted by $10,000,000 during that period. The lodge is a drawing card to bring people back to Havre and Hill County to visit family and friends. That is why a new lodge is necessary.

Please vote for Resolution 22-2696 this Nov. 8. The 3 mills would cost a homeowner whose home is valued at $100,000, $4.05 in taxes, and a home valued at $200,000 would be taxed at $8.10 per year for 15 years. I for one cannot image Camp Kiwanis without a lodge.

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Pamela Wilson is a seasonal administrative assistant at Beaver Creek Park and a retired teacher at Havre Public Schools and Montana State University-Northern who has used Beaver Creek Park for outdoor classes, orienteering, canoeing, snow shoeing, hiking and, at Camp Kiwanis, has been responsible for cabins and the lodge being clean and ready for each camp, camp tours, taking reservation.