Over the past eight months The Coronation & District Wellness Society along with the Town of Coronation have done their due diligence in studying the future of our aging skating arena built in 1960 and the curling rink in 1953.
A professional visual assessment of the two buildings by the architect firm, Tkalcie Bengert was certainly not encouraging. Basically both structures are nearing, if not already at their ‘end of life’, especially the skating arena.
Besides the visual assessment, the feasibility study completed by RC Strategy facilitators also included a survey of stakeholders in the community, seven community organizations and 144 people. Sixty-seven per cent of those surveyed also had interest in a running track around the perimeter of the skating arena.
“Definitely interest” was shown by those surveyed was the point the facilitator made in regards to the survey, adding it makes it “worth a discussion” but he noted the questions on the survey did not quantify the costs.
So now comes “the discussion”. Now comes the roll of the entire community and district to attend the Open House scheduled for Thursday, May 12 at the Lion’s Rec Centre – to get the facts!
There is no doubt in the minds of many, the loss of these sporting facilities would impact the future sustainability of this community. The big question is, How do we keep these facilities that not only offers winter sports, but summer events as well.
The facilitators have offered up future options, fixing or build new, and put dollar figures to those options. Building a combined arena/curling rink with or without a running track, with or without a child’s play area for example, would have a cost saving of 20 – 30 per cent. Building the arena now with the capability of adding on an attached three-sheet curling rink and/or child’s play area is another option or repair both old facilities with the costs for bringing both up to code.
If the choice is to build in the future, sadly there is a lot of money that has to be spent on the skating arena just to keep it operating for the next several years while the community raises funds.
All this information, numbers, numbers, and more numbers, will be provided at the Open House on Thursday, May 12 at the Coronation Lion’s Rec Centre.
Don’t miss this opportunity to get the facts ! Decisions and plans need to be put into place now for what the community will do in the next 10 years.
This community has done it before. We’ve raised enough money in advance to build a community centre and have it paid for by the time it opened. Can we do it again?
We need to look at our options, at the numbers, at the ideas, and not to put planning and fundraising off any longer! Let’s not leave our future generations without these sporting venues.
