Arena push continues as REC Group prepares fundraising campaign

“I was always in the arenas and seeing all these newer arenas that we were visiting and just questioning why we haven’t started planning for a new arena,” Lehman said.

Gregoire said the group recognized the region needed to begin planning before the existing facility deteriorated further.

“If we didn’t act accordingly, we were going to run to a point where we didn’t have anywhere for these kids to be able to go to play,” he said.

The proposed twin-pad arena and events centre is estimated to cost about $96 million. The City of North Battleford is seeking funding from the federal and provincial governments, along with municipal contributions, regional support and community fundraising. The city has committed up to $15 million, while a feasibility study identified about $20 million as a potential community fundraising target.

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While those funding discussions continue, the REC Group has continued to build support for the project.

While they initially focused on a new arena, its vision has expanded as community groups have raised questions about how the facility could accommodate skating competitions, hockey championships, rodeos, concerts, powwows, curling and other events.

“We’re not building a rink, it’s more than a rink,” Lehman said. “It’s going to be a hub of culture, it’s going to be a hub of community gatherings.”

Gregoire said the goal is to build a facility that meets the region’s needs for decades to come, rather than focusing solely on current ice users.

“When we do have this facility built, it’s built for the next 50, 60 years of what we need for the community here,” he said.

A timeline for the public fundraising campaign has not yet been finalized, but the group is already working behind the scenes.

“We are starting it right now, we just haven’t gone live,” Gregoire said. “We don’t want to go premature if we’re not there yet.”

Lehman said the group’s current focus is building the foundation for a broader campaign.

“We are working, we are communicating, we are in lots of meetings, we are talking to businesses, community members, building our volunteer list,” she said. “And that’s the most important thing, right? Volunteers to make this happen.”

The REC Group is also collecting stories from residents about the role local recreation facilities have played across generations, from hockey and figure skating to rodeo, powwows and other community events.

“We want to tell as many stories as possible to see the impact that this new facility could have for that next generation or the generation after,” Gregoire said.

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Alyssa.rudolph@pattisonmedia.com

by Alyssa Rudolph

Arena push continues as REC Group prepares fundraising campaign

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