Bill Fowler Center
Welcomes You!

Located in the heart of the community, overlooking Mirror Lake and bordering on scenic parkland, the Bill Fowler Centre houses the Chamber of Commerce and Tourist Information Centre. As well, the Centre showcases a variety of must-see attractions which reflect the essence of the City of Camrose.

The development of the Bill Fowler Center in Mirror Lake Park was a joint project funded by the Alberta Heritage Savings Trust Fund through Alberta Tourism, Parks and Recreation, the City of Camrose, and the Camrose Chamber of Commerce. This Centre and the park are the focus of the Camrose Urban Park syastem and were officially opened on June 26, 1992.

We are proud to welcome you to our beautiful city!

Since 1908, the Camrose Chamber of Commerce has been an active voice of the community. With a current membership of 375 businesses, the Chamber is stronger than ever.

Camrose Chamber of Commerce is a voluntary association of community minded citizens who work together to make our community a better place in which to live and do business. Member participation guarantees a strong Chamber of Commerce as a potent force in community affairs on local, provincial and national levels.

Whether you are a visitor to Camrose, considering relocating to our city, or planning a trip, the staff at the Bill Fowler Centre can assist you.

The Centre is stocked with extensive information on Camrose to help make you stay memorable or the knowledgable staff can tailor a package to meet your needs and interests, if you are contemplating making your stay permanent.

The Bill Fowler Center is also a great place to stop if you are mapping out your Canadian getaway, as the shelves are filled with a vast array of information comvering the entire country.

William Frank (Bill) Fowler (1917 - 1991) was a friendly, jovial man of convictions, dedicated to the principle of service beyond self. He worked diligently, through many community organizations whose objectives were consistent with truth, fairness and benefit for all.

He gave of himself to the last day of his life, guided by the rule "If a job is worth doing, it is worth doing well." Always ready to extend a friendly hand, he enjoyed every opportunity to say "Welcome to Camrose."

The Bill Fowler Center is dedicated in memory of William Frank Fowler to honour and recognize Bill's lifelong devotion to the promotion of our community.

The brick mural on the west wall of the Bill Fowler Centre depicts a variety of flora and fauna indigenous to the Camrose area.

The design, carving and installation of this unique sculpture was completed by renowned artist James Marshall of Medicine Hat, Alberta.

Development of the mural was made possible with the generous support of the community, Camrose Tourism Action Grant assistance and contributions from local businesses.

Prominently displayed in the Bill Fowler Centre is a half scale replica of a Viking longship. The longship was constructed in Camrose by Olaus Straumsness of Telemark, Norway, who was trained at his country's boat-builder's college in Hardanger. Contributing to the completion of the Viking ship Camrose hobby carver Bob Holmberg carved the serpent figurehead for the bow and Augustana student Cynthia Zukiwsky handmade the sail.

The ship measures 8.5 metres long with a 2-metre beam and was built using Canadian hard and soft woods comparable to the woods used by the Vikings 1000 years ago.

Built in 1985 to celebrate the 75th Anniversary of Augustana University College (then Camrose Lutheran College), the longship travelled extensively before coming to port in the Bill Fowler Centre in 1992.

Renown rose grower, Jerry Twomey, bred and patented the beautiful Camrose Rose to honor his birth place.

This elegant tea rose boasts abundant pink blooms and rich green foliage, making it the most stunning flower in our rose beds.

A hybrid tea rose, the Camrose Rose was introduced to our city in 1995. It may be seen on display at the Bill Fowler Center.

In anticipation of the 1990 Alberta Winter Games in Camrose, the Camrose Games Society engaged the talents of local artist Jim Brager to develop a mascot. In September of 1988, Brager submitted a selection of drawings to the Games Society. One of these sketches was of a jolly round faced Viking, who was adopted as the mascot for the Games.

Upon completion of the mascot, a contest was then held among children 14 years of age and under to determine his name. The name "Ole Uffda" was submitted by Daniel Watts to win the competition.

Following the Winter Games, Camrose Games Society donated Ole to the City of Camrose and he became Camrose's official mascot.

Ole Uffda currently makes his home in the Bill Fowler Centre, where he greets thousands of visitors each year.

	City of CamroseWelcomeVisitorsCommunityAdministrationLeisureEngineeringProtective            We welcome your feedback Updated April 18, 2008