User groups will have to wait another season before they can benefit from a second covered rink in Black Diamond.
Construction of a $600,000 roof over the Scott Seaman Outdoor Rink this fall has been delayed until the spring due to lack of manpower and the threat of increased costs to get the structure up during the colder months, according to Les Quinton, the Town’s parks and recreation manager. The town currently has one indoor and two outdoor skating rinks.
“We were supposed to have started (construction) already, but we just got the structure last week,” Quinton said. “Ultimately, we can’t get the manpower to get it done in the timeframe we need.”
Construction was initially expected to be complete by the end of October.
With work not to begin now until the ground is thawed in the spring, Quinton anticipates the arena will be ready for use for the start of the season in November 2015.
The structure will include a sun/wind screen on the west and south sides of the facility and, depending on the total cost, the funds may allow for the purchase of penalty boxes, players’ boxes, a timekeepers box and replacing the chain link fence on the boards with tempered glass.
Quinton said the roof will protect the Scott Seaman Outdoor Rink from sun exposure, reducing refrigeration costs and allowing for lines and logos to be added to the surface to allow for regulation hockey games and increased use by various groups.
The MD of Foothills contributed $150,000 toward the project, an anonymous donation provided $100,000 and the remaining $350,000 was collected from the Fortis franchise fee, a 10 per cent fee charged by the Town on residents’ electricity bills placed in a reserve fund for the arena.
The Town has been putting money into the reserve account for the project since the arena was built in 2008.
Council agreed at its regular council meeting on Oct. 1 to maintain the Fortis franchise fee at 10 per cent, where it has remained since 2007. The estimated revenue at this rate in 2015 is $122,000.
“We shouldn’t consider lowering it and I don’t think we need to raise it,” said Coun. Michel Jackson. “We did well to get the money required just to get the roof up. To me it’s not time to quit. Let’s keep going until we get that whole building done.”
Coun. Judy Thomson agreed.
“It should stay at 10 per cent,” she said. “It’s an added tax that residents have to pay and I don’t think it should be going up at all.”
Coun. Jackie Stickel and Ruth Goodwin questioned whether the money should be designated specifically for the arena roof or go into general reserves to assist with other projects needed in the community, yet both voted to designate it to the arena.
Brown said the fee was designated to the Scott Seaman Outdoor Rink roof years ago and should continue to be allocated to that until the project is complete.
“Parks and rec are always the ones that are cut first,” she said. “It gave them a stable source of funding and I’m prepared to continue with that.”
Goodwin also suggested the rate increase to allow the Town to tackle other projects.
“I would like to see it raised and have money actually put into pathways,” she said. “I think that’s a project that’s been in a backburner for a long time.”
Quinton told council putting a roof over the outdoor rink will more than double revenue for the facility. The rink currently brings in about $20,000 in revenue.
“Once we have the funds to put the walls on, that will really increase the operation of the rink,” he said. “We can run it longer, put the ice in the same time frame and rent it to larger functions. It will draw in larger hockey tournaments.”
With plans to add walls to the roof structure in the future, Quinton said it’s important money continues to go into the reserve fund.
“I think they (council) realize we need to keep putting in funds to put a structure over it,” he said. “I’m quite happy they’ve continued with it. If it didn’t continue we would have no funds to go into reserves for further infrastructure.”
Quinton expects the cost to install walls and have the building meet code will be around the same as installing the roof. He said electrical, a fire alarm system, doors and upgrades to the Oilfields Regional Arena will be required to get it in full operation.
