Alice Campbell Havre Daily News acampbell@havredailynews.com
The renovations on the Beaver Lodge at Camp Kiwanis at Beaver Creek Park are almost finished and the results are striking. No longer the same brick red as the rest of the camp nestled below the hill that the lodge stands on, the lodge is being restored back to nature literally. The red paint has been stripped from the outer logs, and the wood revealed beneath will be treated instead. The paint, applied in the early 1980s, has sped up deterioration of the wooden log exterior, park superintendent Chad Edgar said. Some logs had already deteriorated and had to be replaced, Edgar added. The logs will now be stained and treated to help prevent further rot. New gutters are planned as well and will be put up in the next few weeks. The interior of the lodge is also being upgraded. A propane heater will soon be where the old wood stove was, and new counters and cabinets wait in the kitchen for their first use. Ceiling fans have been installed to help better distribute heat, and new doors will help keep all The heat in the building. The paneling in the kitchen has been changed to pine and stained to fit better with the rest of the lodge's character. Upstairs, the bathroom has been redone, and plumbing throughout the structure has been upgraded. A new washing machine and dryer have been installed upstairs. The cost of renting the lodge is kept low by the rental stipulation that users clean the camp themselves before leaving, Edgar said, and added that he's sure renters will appreciate the improved appliances. The camp accommodates 150 people. These are the first major renovations since the lodge was constructed between 1974 and 1975. They have been made possible through a grant for roughly $40,000 through the State Department of Commerce and $23,000 from Hill County Parks and Recreation Department, Edgar said. Several private contributions in money, appliances and labor that have also been made to the project. The lodge receives steady use from the first weekend it's open until Labor Day, Edgar said. This year, between eight weddings, five youth camps and six reunions, the lodge is booked every weekend from May 22 through Labor Day. Edgar said he hopes to have the renovations that began in September finished in the next month and definitely before May 22. People wanting to donate money for the renovation of Beaver Lodge can mail donations to Beaver Creek Park, c/o Chad Edgar, 17863 Beaver Creek Road, Havre, MT 59501 or call the park office at 395-4565. Checks can be made out to the Hill County Park Foundation.
