75 Years of Legends: The Stories That Made the Red Deer Memorial Centre
October 15, 2026
What do a country music star, a theatre student, a high school student, a theatre set builder and a five-year-old performer have in common?
At one point, they all found themselves on the same stage.
For 75 years, the Red Deer Memorial Centre has been part of the lives of generations of Red Deerians. As the building approaches its 75th anniversary, we're collecting stories from the people who have walked through its doors, and what we've heard is a reminder that a building's history is really the history of the people who use it.
And some of the legends who have walked through those doors have been pretty big ones.
Johnny Cash himself once stood on the Memorial Centre stage.
On November 14, that connection to the past will come full circle when the community gathers to celebrate 75 years of the Memorial Centre with an evening featuring Folsom Prison Revisited, bringing the music and story of Johnny Cash back to the very stage where he once performed.
But Johnny Cash is just one chapter in a much bigger story.
The Memorial Centre itself has quite a story.
During the Second World War, the building was part of the A-20 Training Camp and served as the camp's drill hall. In 1951, it was converted into an auditorium and gymnasium and given its current name. A memorial wall was also added to the lobby to honour people from Red Deer and district who lost their lives in the First and Second World Wars.
Red Deer Archives, N3592
Over the decades, the Memorial Centre has welcomed touring musicians, professional performers and celebrated artists to its stage, alongside local theatre productions, school performances, dance recitals and community events.
Its stage has been shared by artists known across the country and around the world, and by Red Deerians stepping onto a stage for the very first time.
And some of the memories people have shared go back decades.
As a small-town teenager, Patricia was invited by a friend's parents to see country music performer Faron Young at the Memorial Centre. It was her first time seeing a famous touring performer live, singing songs she'd previously only heard on the radio.
What she remembers most isn't the setlist.
It's Faron changing one line during the show to, "he gave Rosanna a yellow banana," giving the audience a laugh.
For Perri-Lynne, the memories span generations. She remembers going to Central Alberta Theatre productions and school events at the Memorial Centre, then returning years later to watch her own children perform.
For Dustin, the Memorial Centre eventually became much more than somewhere to watch a show.
As a theatre student at Red Deer College, he and his mom attended a Central Alberta Theatre production. He can't remember the name of the play, but he remembers being fascinated by the set and amazed by how such a small space could be transformed.
Years later, he joined Central Alberta Theatre himself. What started as an audience experience eventually became a much bigger part of his life.
"Performing in countless shows over the years has honestly changed my life," he shared.
Then there's Rob, who saw the Memorial Centre from an entirely different perspective.
During the 1970s and 1980s, he worked on Central Alberta Theatre productions there as a stage manager, producer, technical director and set builder, and sometimes as an actor.
"I spent many hours in that theater," he remembers.
His connection with the building continued years later through Lindsay Thurber High School, where he produced major musicals and Remembrance Day multimedia events.
And then there is Kaitlyn's story, which might be the perfect example of how these memories get passed from one generation to the next.
While she was pregnant with her son, she and her husband watched The Glorious Sons and Grandson perform at the Memorial Centre.
Years later, when their son was about five, he performed in his first recital.
They told him he was standing on the same stage where those musicians had performed.
He was amazed.
Afterward, he drew a picture and wrote:
"I was on the same stage as the glorious suns and grandsun."
They still have it.
That's what 75 years at the Memorial Centre looks like.
It's the famous performer and the first-time performer.
The person in the audience and the person backstage.
The theatre student who is inspired by a set, and the person who eventually builds one.
The teenager at a school event, the parent watching from the seats and the child stepping onto the stage for the first time.
And every once in a while, it's a legend like Johnny Cash.
Different generations. Different reasons for being there. The same building. The same stage.
Now, as the Memorial Centre looks toward its next 75 years, the goal is to make sure the stories don't stop here.
The Memorial Centre is working toward a $250,000 upgrade to LED stage lighting, helping support the artists, performers and audiences who will continue to fill the space.
On November 14, the community will gather for the 75 Years of Legends Gala & Fundraiser, followed by Folsom Prison Revisited, presented by Stars & Stories Live.
It's a night that brings together the past, present and future of the Memorial Centre: celebrating the people and performances that have shaped its history, while helping ensure the stage remains ready for the legends still to come.
Because 75 years isn't just about looking back.
It's about the stories still waiting to be written.
For 75 years it's been our stage, but it's been your story.
Now it's time to continue the legend.