Saanich is asking the federal and provincial governments to help pay for improvements to Pearkes Recreation Centre.
Pending council approval, Saanich is applying to the Community, Culture, and Recreation (CCR) Program, a joint federal/provincial initiative, to help fund the first phase of proposed improvements to Gold Arena, the name of the original rink that opened in October 1968. The rink B次元官网网址� which accounts for about one-third of the entire complex B次元官网网址� has been showing its age for some time.
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According to staff documents, the requested grant will cover 73 per cent of the total cost, with Saanich covering the remaining 27 per cent B次元官网网址� or $2.65 million B次元官网网址� of the remaining project. The total value of the first phase is $9.81 million.
Pearkes manager Graham Thomson said the project addresses, among other concerns, the immediate need to replace the slab of PearkesB次元官网网址� Gold Arena. He said it will ensure the long term viability of the arenaB次元官网网址檚 operation.
B次元官网网址淲e should find out by summer 2019 if our grant application is approved,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淚f successful in our funding request, we are committed to working with our user groups and regional partners to minimize the impact on their offerings.B次元官网网址�
Other improvements would include improvements to the facilityB次元官网网址檚 accessibility features including a new elevator, ramp to the field house, dressing rooms and access to the Gold Arena ice surface and energy efficiency improvements including heat recovery from the ice plant for other parts.
The funding, if approved, would not add a third rink to the facility.
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The second phase of the proposed improvements would include a full seismic upgrade to the Gold Arena.
SaanichB次元官网网址檚 share for the first phase of the project would come from the facilities major repair and replacement reserve fund, which had a balance of almost $8.3 million on Dec. 31, 2017. It was set to reach more than $11.7 million by the end of 2018, according to a staff report.
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The funding request exists independently of efforts by Spectrum Community School to add a rink, but nonetheless relates to it. If Saanich were to improve Gold Arena, it would leave the community with one public, Saanich-owned rink B次元官网网址� a threatening scenario for Saanich Minor Hockey Association said its president, David Horricks.
B次元官网网址淲ithout an alternative rink, when the Gold rink goes down, the association goes down,B次元官网网址� Horricks said earlier. B次元官网网址淲e have to get that message to the council. Saanich Minor Hockey would close, you canB次元官网网址檛 run it with one rink, itB次元官网网址檚 impossible. You need a certain threshold of kids in order to populate all the age groups.B次元官网网址�
Accordingly, the association has been backing plans for a new rink at Spectrum, but not at the expense of another rink at Pearkes.
B次元官网网址淭he need for another rink at Pearkes remains our No. 1 concern,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淚f two more rinks were built they would both be full immediately.B次元官网网址�
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