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The Rochester & District Agricultural Society (RDAS) was chartered on the 21st day of August 1979 and is a non-profit organization that brings people together to celebrate agriculture’s influence on our past, present, and future. The first charter night was January 25, 1980, and the Chairman was Allan Gerlach.
RDAS is committed to promoting agriculture, preserving community spirit, and researching local agricultural history. Hard-working volunteers maintain facilities and run programs and events that bring people together. The facilities include a hall, fair grounds, outdoor horse arena, baseball diamond, beer garden, summer hall, and skating rink with warm-up room.

The Grosmont Community Club’s original hall was built in 1929. It measured 52’10” by 27’7” and had a capacity of 175. The earliest surviving minutes are for the Grosmont Community Women’s Club, dated July 1950 – February 1964. The first president was Pearl Barr. Members met in private homes, and they were involved in hall events and maintenance. Men were invited to join in 1960 and meetings then took place in the hall. By-laws were registered in October 1974, and in 1974, the original building had an addition.

Athabasca Town Council struck the Athabasca Centennial Celebrations Committee in September 2009 to begin planning its 100th anniversary which was celebrated in 2011. The committee was Chair Bill Black, with town Councillors Paula Evans and John Traynor, and community members Montana Skye, Joan Veenstra, Severna Bosik and KellyLynn Spafford. The logo contest was won by Kenton Bullwick. The celebrations included a drumming circle and pipe ceremony hosted by the Athabasca Native Friendship Centre, a music festival hosted by the Magnificent River Rats Festival Society on July 1 and 2, a Homecoming Weekend from July 29 – 31st, creation of a commemorative plate and decorative scow-shaped dish by the Athabasca Pottery Club, and many activities facilitated and hosted by local groups and volunteers. Two books were published to mark the anniversary; “Why Athabasca: A Brief History of the Origins of Athabasca Landing,” by Dr. Greg Johnson and “Athabasca: 100 Years in Our Own Words,” published by the Athabasca Advocate newspaper. A website was launched by Joan Veenstra, athabasca2011.com.

Parkhurst Social Society renamed themselves Parkview Community Club on August 12, 1969, for the purpose of restoring Parkhurst School, NE 12-67-21 W4, to use as a community hall. The club was incorporated on November 10, 1969, and the first executive was Don Ballard, president and Adele Sale, secretary-treasurer. The hall was added on to in1973 including a kitchen and dining area, and later, a stage.

Mary Olson (nee Buxton) was born at a midwife's house in Bowden, Alberta on April 28th, 1933. She came to Athabasca to teach school in 1951, boarding with the Loiselle family in South Athabasca. She married Carl Olson on November 1, 1952, and had two sons, Kelly, and Ken. She returned to teaching in Athabasca when Kelly started school. Mary taught every grade from kindergarten (a private class when Kelly was four and five, in the United Church basement) up to Grade 12. She attended summer school and obtained a Bachelor of Education majoring in English. She retired in 1989 and finishing her teaching career having taught English, Drama and Music. Mary retired at age 55 and taught private music lessons for about 25 years after that.

Mary always loved drama, from her Bowden school days, at university, teaching, and with the Athabasca Players. She was an actor until they needed a director which she enjoyed that more than acting. She also has directed several singing groups through the years: the Now Generation, Joyful Sound Choir, and Golden Memories Choir. She played organ at several churches from the 50's to the 2000's.

Charles and Trish Bazalgette moved to the Town of Athabasca in 1999 and bought a business, Two Hens Framing and Gifts. They changed the name to Old Crow Antiques and Framing, and Trish ran the business. The store was situated in the back of the Veritas Center on 49th Street, owned by Fritz Prufer. In 2002 they bought the building and expanded their store to the front, keeping the back for workshop and office space. In 2003 they started the Tizzie Bazalcat Shelter for Homeless Cats, a spin-off from the Second Chance Animal Rescue Society.
In 2005 the Bazalgettes made overtures to the Town of Athabasca to buy the CNR train station which had recently been vacated by the Athabasca Senior Citizen’s Society; however, the Town of Athabasca wasn’t willing to sell the station. In August 2006, the Bazalgettes bought the old Anglican Church Rectory from the Lewis family and began preserving and restoring the house. They moved Old Crow to the rectory and rented out their old space in the Veritas Centre to DataWest Computers. They closed the doors to the cat shelter that year but kept the remaining cats in their care.
In 2008 they sold the Veritas Center to accountant Glen Martin.
In 2009 and 2010, they were instrumental in starting the Friends of the Athabasca Train Station (FATS) society for the purpose of researching, restoring, and promoting the 1912 train station. They created public interest in the station and succeeded in obtaining a 25-year lease for the station with the Town of Athabasca and Athabasca Heritage Society for the purpose of conserving the building and creating community space. Charles was Chair of Heritage Society at that time.
In 2010, Trish wrote and published a print and online newsletter, “Women Mean Business: Athabasca’s Small Small-Business Community.”
In 2013 they closed Old Crow and relocated to Salmo, BC where they opened Tara Books, which operated until 2022 when Trish retired.

A bleached kraft pulp mill on the Athabasca River was announced by Alberta-Pacific (Al-Pac) and the Alberta Government in 1988 and Alberta-Pacific submitted to Alberta Environment an environmental impact assessment (EIA) for the project on May 8, 1989. A series of public meetings to address the EIA was scheduled by Al-Pac. A group of environmentally-concerned citizens formed Friends of the Athabasca Environmental Association on September 19, 1988 to express their concerns about the bleached kraft pulp mill. The group had broad objectives in terms of the Athabasca River Basin, but their main objective was to mitigate the effects on the environment of the Athabasca River. FOTA was aware that the project would brings jobs to the Athabasca area, and was firmly behind the plan, but questioned why a bleached kraft pulp mill was being considered. The group was active between 1988 and 1996.

Margot Franziska Marie Kindt (nee: Kuentz) was born in Berlin, Germany on 25 August 1930. She grew up as the only child of Anton and Paula Kuentz in a house that her father built for his family. In higher-level schooling, students traveled by train to school, and this is where she met her future husband, Lothar Manfred Joachim Kindt. He was also an only child and was born 31 January 1927. As pre-teens and teenagers, Margot and Lothar lived through one of the most difficult times in Germany during the Great Depression and WWII. These are times they would rather have forgotten.

After the world settled, they enjoyed life dating and traveling. Margot attended the Kӓthe Kollwitz Schule, Meisterschule fur Grafik. They married 26 November 1955 after they finished their educations and began working. Margot worked as a graphic artist and bookmaker. She hand-bound books and repaired them; however, her first love was painting. Her father encouraged her at a very young age as he was also an artist.

Lothar and Margot had two children. On 28 August 1957, Manuel Bouchart Kindt was born just outside of Berlin in a subdivision, Buch. Margot stayed home to take care of family as Lothar now worked as a veterinarian. On 7 September 1960 they had a daughter, Katharina Barbara Kindt.

Life was changing quickly in Berlin around the time that Katharina was born so Margot and Lothar made plans to leave Germany. They left in May 1961. The Berlin Wall closed around East Germany in June of that year, so they no longer had contact with family. They came by boat to Ontario and lived in Windsor for a number of years before coming to Athabasca in the summer of 1967.

Margot was able to quickly establish herself as an artist and she taught art in the Athabasca Public School (Old Brick School) through the University of Alberta Department of Extension where she met Professor Harry Wolhfarth. Wolhfarth became a big influence in her artistic life.

In 1969, Lothar and Margot bought land from Rita Birkigt north of the Athabasca River. They built a home and raised their two children, along with some horses and dogs. Margot continued with her artwork, dabbling in all sorts of areas including pottery. She received many honors including the Maxim McLeay Ross Memorial Award. In her early 90s, she continues to paint.

Lothar and Margot remained on their land until Lothar passed away in 2019. Katharina moved onto the property with her family to continue the homestead. Margot currently lives in Athabasca Extendicare.

Robert Armstrong was born in Sault Ste. Marie, ON in 1921. He joined the navy in 1940 and met Winnifred Groomsbridge of Clyde, AB, who was with the WRENs, in Halifax. They married in 1945 and had four children: John, Margaret, David and Barbara. Bob sold insurance in Trenton,On., Clyde and Calgary before moving to Athabasca in 1962. They retired in 1988. Winnifred died in 1999.

Athabasca Heritage Day celebrations were held May 2, 1980 at Edwin Parr Composite High School to commemorate Alberta's 75th birthday. There was a series of speakers, panel discussions and films. Students participated in activities by completing various assignments and projects.