What is the future of ice in Yorkton? That鈥檚 a question for the people of the city to decide, and the City of Yorkton is looking for input on a proposal to put a second ice surface at the Gallagher Centre. They are hosting a virtual open house online to show off the current plans for the project and seek information from people from the city to see what they want, or don鈥檛 want, from the proposed development.
The open house was moved online, rather than in person, because there isn鈥檛 a way to meet in person thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. With limits to the amount of people able to gather, they decided to keep the consultation going, explained Councillor Aaron Kienle, by going online. Prior to the community open house, they also had discussions with the local user groups and city council as part of the ongoing process.
There are six videos at the open house, five from consultant aodbt Architecture and one from construction management company PCL which discusses how the project could be handled. 聽
The project is still in the early stages, explained Darcy McLeod, Director of Community, Parks and Recreation. The current process is finding out what the community needs, as well as finding the cost of the eventual project, as it鈥檚 very early in the process.
This virtual open house is the final part of the community input process. After the final plan is developed, it will be presented to council with the overall cost.
The discussion around adding a new ice surface of the Gallagher Centre was prompted by the current state of the Kinsmen Arena, which was shown to be nearing the end of its useful life in a study in 2010, explained McLeod.
鈥淭he building is not ready to fall down, so it鈥檚 safe from that perspective, but at the end of the day it鈥檚 at the end of its useful life. The maintenance costs are getting higher and higher, and it鈥檚 not a very modern facility anymore, it鈥檚 very tight. Our hockey season starts earlier, ends later depending on the usage, but the Kinsmen Arena was built as a one-season facility, that being the winter, but we use it in the fall and into the spring. We have issue with operations and with moisture in the building. At the end of the day, if it doesn鈥檛 get built this year or next year, there鈥檚 nothing wrong with the Kinsmen Arena being used through, it鈥檚 just more money to operate it and it鈥檚 not meeting the needs of a modern hockey arena.鈥�
Adding an ice surface is about more than just the surface itself, but how it can improve the quality of life at the existing ice surface at the Gallagher Centre. The proposal includes features such as a heated viewing area, and connecting the two surfaces for ease of use during tournaments.
The main quality of life improvement discussed, however, would not be the ice itself. One of the major issues that user groups have identified with current facilities are dressing rooms, whether that鈥檚 the dressing room size or quantity, and Kienle said there has already been plenty of feedback on how alternate gender dressing rooms should be handled for minor hockey, with discussion surrounding the size and layout, as well as whether features would, or wouldn鈥檛, be used.
鈥淵ou have somebody that does have a daughter who plays hockey, and they鈥檙e able to give you feedback that you just didn鈥檛 know yourself, or maybe your consultant didn鈥檛 know as well.鈥�
For McLeod, a major advantage of a new ice surface is maintenance costs. While a major capital project, it鈥檚 going to be more efficient than operating the Kinsmen Arena when it鈥檚 actually built.
Kienle said that for user groups, the project is a high priority, because the current ice surfaces, both within Yorkton and in the surrounding area, are all used at capacity.
鈥淚f we face a situation where even the small town rinks that Yorkton families use, if they were to have issues with their ice plants or their facilities not being open, it would put us at a shortage for ice. Likewise, if the Kinsmen was to experience problems with its ice plant, that would put us in a position where we would be sinking large amounts of money into a building that is nearing the end of its useful life. For me, it鈥檚 planning for the future. It鈥檚 something that whether it鈥檚 needed today, it鈥檚 needed very shortly.鈥�
Another advantage to moving quickly with the project is pricing, explained Kienle, as construction pricing is relatively good in 2020 as crews are eager to work after a slowdown.
While a virtual open house was forced on the city because of the COVID-19 pandemic, McLeod said that they expect this to be part of the process for similar projects in the future. Virtual user input sessions have already gone well, McLeod said, and it can save money as it means less travel for consultants.
鈥淎 virtual open house, I can see it happening in conjunction with an in-person open house, and give people the option. If you can鈥檛 make it to the open house, you can go online virtually and take a look at the videos, or whatever it is. As much trouble is happening with COVID, I think there are going to be a lot of changes that we will probably see stick around as a result, hopefully making us more efficient.鈥�
The consultation process is necessary because it鈥檚 the taxpayer鈥檚 building, said McLeod, and they don鈥檛 want to build something they don鈥檛 want. He said it鈥檚 also vital to see if there鈥檚 support for the project or not, whether people are excited or don鈥檛 want a build at all.
鈥淎t the end of the day, it鈥檚 good to find out what the people who own the building want to do.鈥�
Kienle said that they want to continue the consultation process because they want input from people who will not only use the facility, but have used other facilities and have ideas on how to make the best possible facility for people in the city.
鈥淲hat I鈥檓 hoping is that if there is something that could be done better or something that has been missed, the residents can pick up on that and bring it to our attention, because obviously we want to do a good job and do it right from the beginning.鈥�
The videos from the open house will be online permanently, but the end of the feedback process will be July 3. The open house is hosted at .
