Exclusive

Joy Hinman and Jim McCreary are among the residents who support developing the Turner Valley Gas Plant into a national historical site and tourist attraction.
photo by Rae Holtsbaum

Okotoks - Centennial Arena’s 1,500 seats approved

Town council proceeds with sidelined recreation projects

By Laurel Nadon
Staff reporter

Projects at the Okotoks Recreation Centre and Okotoks Centennial Place Arena won’t be left on the sidelines thanks to $1,987,470 from the Alberta Municipal Infrastructure Program.
A number of components to the $24 million recreation projects had been deferred until funding was attained. In March, town council approved a 350-seat hockey arena with the capacity to add another 1,150 seats in the future. Those seats will now be a reality and will be in place when the facility opens in April 2006.
Other projects which had been sidelined such as a gymnasium, fitness facility and new change rooms in the Piper Arena will also move ahead. Fundraising from this point will be directed to furniture, fixtures and equipment at the two facilities.
Bruce Goodwin, president of the Okotoks Minor Hockey Association, said the news that they won’t have to wait for the seating was outstanding.
“If we do it now, it will be cheaper in the long run. We’ll have a fully-functioning facility as opposed to having 350 seats in it,” Goodwin said. “It’s not 100 per cent essential for when it opens, but having the seats means activities and events can be booked in the summer so they can get some return on the investment.”
The funding announcement could not have come at a better time, as secured pricing for all deferred items was only in place until Nov. 24, 2005.
In a bid to keep costs down, at its meeting on Monday, Nov. 21 town council authorized the completion of all portions of construction for the projects. The increased charges for the deferred items after Nov. 24 was anticipated to total more than $1 million, bringing the estimated cost for these items to $2,986,331.
Councillor Ed Sands said he’d like to move forward with all parts of the project. “I think the timing in the overheated Alberta economy has cost us enough for this project,” Sands said.
Councillor Laurie Hodson said council may have had some misconceptions going into the recreation facility expansion.
“We went in with an understanding that there would be a healthy sharing from the community relative to the taxpayers,” Hodson said. “I guess that I should have known that these kind of pressures from an overheated Alberta economy should work that the contribution not materialize.”
Mayor Bill McAlpine said that he feels $600,000 raised to date in the community is significant, although more corporate donations are needed. He also said that these projects are a major priority, as the town welcomed 10 new minor hockey teams this year alone.
“We need the facilities. People are going all over the country to play their home games,” McAlpine said.
Council approved the deferred items in the amount of $1,987,470 which means the project cost is now $24,387,470. The funding sources are $15 million from 2004 debenture borrowing, $5 million from 2005 debenture borrowing, $1 million from a centennial legacy grant, $1 million from the recapitalization reserve, $400,000 from other reserves and grants and $1,987,470 from the Alberta Municipal Infrastructure Program.
The MD of Foothills is contributing funds which will go toward paying off the 2005 debenture borrowing. The MD will pay $6.652 million, which includes principle and interest.
Construction began in May 2005 on both the recreation centre expansion and Centennial Arena based on the approved budgets.
A fundraising campaign was initiated in the summer of 2005 with a target total of $3.1 million of which $2.1 million was for deferred items and $1 million for furniture, fixtures and equipment. To date, fundraising has resulted in $529,750 being pledged toward completion of the project.
Community fundraising is still needed to raise more than $1 million for furniture, fixtures and equipment in the facilities. This includes $300,000 for a fitness centre at the recreation centre, $50,000 for a community room, $100,000 to upgrade equipment and displays for concessions at both locations, $90,000 for a zamboni at the centennial arena, $20,000 for score clocks and $30,000 for message boards.