Curtis Nelson gave a presentation at the Chamber of Commerce luncheon on the behalf of the Assiniboia Civic Improvement Association on February 20, where he provided information on Assiniboia’s new ice arena, which is hoped to reach completion by the winter of 2022. Many interested members of the community attended the luncheon held in the Canalta Hotel at noon hour.
So far, conceptual blueprints for the arena have been submitted by Graham Construction, Wright Construction, Wilhelm Construction and Dura Construction. The upper price for the arena has been costed to $14.5 million. The Assiniboia Civic Improvement Association has to maintain a balancing act, as they address overhead expenditures, maintain a strict budget, along with overseeing the completion of a showcase facility for hockey and other local sports. At this point in the planning regime, the association has a preference towards a design build contract with a guaranteed maximum to ensure they have retained cost certainty for the project.
“As soon as we get our application in, we’re going to look for contractors,” Nelson said. “Once we get notification of funding, we’ll award the contract in the summer.”
The deadline for the grant is March 31, although the association hopes to conclude the application by the middle of March. No funding will be available if the project is started before the grant is approved. The association believed a realistic timeline to know if the grant has received approval should happen during the late summer months from July to August.
The association is hoping to secure funds through the federal government’s Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program. The association will apply for grants through the funding stream dedicated to community, culture and recreation. The Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program funds the federal portion at a minimum of 40 per cent, while the provincial contribution to the project is up to 33.33 per cent.
Nelson briefly explained the grant application procedure, where projects are shortlisted after they are reviewed by Sask Builds then short listed to the provincial government cabinet before they are sent to the offices of the federal government. “There is a breakdown in funds from the federal government,” Nelson clarified. “The federal portion of funding is at a minimum of 40 per cent.”
At this point in February 2020, the likelihood of having the project approved seems optimistically strong as the community has an immediate need for the new facility and the portion of funds available for construction. Additionally, the planning portion for the facility has moved far enough to provide strong costing for the project. The project as been on the horizon for many years now, which the provincial government has been well aware of. Nelson estimated the build time for the arena would be 14-16 months and should be ready for operations by January 2022.
During the presentation, Nelson took the audience on a computer-generated tour of the planned arena. The new two storey arena will have 450 seats, LED lighting, solar power lighting, metal doors, quality windows, a walking track, six primary dressing rooms, one eight-person referees’ room and an eight-person dressing room for mixed gender teams.
A member of the audience asked if a 450-seat arena would be sustainable for the community, since roughly 150-200 people are attending hockey games at the Assiniboia Civic Centre Arena at the present.
“We hope to see a big jump in attendance and participation because we have a new facility,” Nelson replied. Moreover, since other neighbouring RMs are contributing to this project, Assiniboia’s arena would probably serve as a hub for sporting events in the region.
Another audience member asked if local taxes would be raised to support the new arena. However, higher taxes to fund the arena won’t become an issue according to Nelson. “We shouldn’t expect an increase in taxes because of the new facility,” Nelson confirmed.
Finally, Nelson and the Assiniboia Civic Improvement Association hope to receive new ideas and input from the community. “We’re open to suggestions because it’s a community facility,” Nelson said. “If there’s things in the facility that we can easily incorporate without affecting overhead costs, let us know.”
