By TERRY PUGH
Twenty years after plans were first laid for a multi-purpose recreational complex, the City of Warman has officially opened the final phase of the project.
City officials, along with representatives of MNP LLP Corporation, were all smiles on Wednesday, October 8 as they snipped the ribbon to officially open MNP Arena, the second ice surface in the Warman Home Centre Communiplex (WHCC).
“It’s an exciting day,” said Warman Mayor Gary Philipchuk. “Right from the beginning when we formed the Warman Sport and Cultural Village committee and began fundraising, to the opening of the first rink in 2012, and now finally completing this project. This facility brings a lot of energy to the community, and I invite residents to come and see all that it has to offer.”
Warman Recreation and Community Services Director Paul McGonigal said the completion of the new rink means Warman can now host minor hockey tournaments and provide practice times for local teams.
“This new arena is the culmination of a vision that started way back in 2005,”’ said McGonigal. “It’s the final piece of the recreation complex. Back in 2005, we talked about the need for a new facility because of population growth and the numbers of youth enrolled in minor sports. Our existing facility, the Diamond Rodeo Arena, was rapidly filling up and we didn’t have enough ice time. We were having to go to other towns and rent ice.”
McGonigal said the original plan for the Legends Centre, now renamed the WHCC, always included the eventual addition of a second ice surface. The new addition was completed on budget and opened on schedule earlier this fall.
“This closes that chapter, facility-wise,” said McGonigal. “But, it opens a brand new book going forward with our sports that utilize this centre.”
He noted both the new MNP Arena and the KH Developments Arena within the WHCC, as well as the Diamond Rodeo Arena, are all booked to capacity.
“Between all three arenas, we’re full,” said McGonigal. “We are now able to handle tournaments, which brings a lot of economic spinoff benefits to the community. The hotels and restaurants will be busy. Having the additional capacity also allowed us to attract an SJHL team, the Wolverines, along with the U18AAA Wildcats team. That wouldn’t have happened with only two rinks.”
Along with the second ice surface, the WHCC has seen improvements to the KH Developments Arena, with a new electronic display board on the arena’s south wall.
The building has also seen the opening of a new restaurant and lounge overlooking both ice surfaces.
Philipchuk said the city is proud to have built the new facility using its own financial resources after numerous applications for infrastructure grants to senior levels of government were rejected. A recently-implemented recreation levy is now in place to help fund future projects, but Philipchuk said the city will also seek grant funding at every opportunity.
Philipchuk said the city will continue to utilize the Diamond Rodeo Arena, built in 1967, for the foreseeable future.
“The reality is we need three rinks,” said Philipchuk. “We’ve done a structural review of the Diamond Rodeo Arena and it passed, but it is showing its age and we’ll need to put some money into it to deal with a few issues.”
McGonigal said the ice plant at the old rink is fine. “The main problem at the Diamond Rodeo Arena is the floor,” he said. “Council will have to make a decision on how to proceed with fixing that sometime in the next two years.”
McGonigal said one of the biggest benefits of having the MNP Arena open this fall is it allowed the city to delay the opening of the Diamond Rodeo Arena by a few weeks.
“Hot temperatures at the old rink really put a lot of stress on the facility,” he said. “It wasn’t built to operate in those conditions. You’d walk into the Diamond Arena to watch your kid during evaluations and the glass would be solid water.”