Mayor Greg Dionne speaks at a September event in front of city hall. (Alison Sandstrom/paNOW Staff)

By Alison Sandstrom

Plans for 2021

Hope and the future: Dionne talks WHL-size arena and forestry revival

Jan 2, 2021 | 8:00 AM

The COVID-19 pandemic makes 2020 a year many may prefer to forget but there is hope for the future. We’ve decided to make that the focus of our series of end-of-year stories.

Plans for mass-vaccination bring with them the prospect of a return to normalcy late in 2021, but in the meantime Prince Albert Mayor Greg Dionne says there will be plenty of exciting things happening in the city.

“Even though we’re still going to be dealing with COVID in those first three quarters of the year, I believe we’ll still have lots of positives because lots of construction will start and people will be getting back to work,” Dionne told paNOW.

Dionne also revealed the biggest project the city has planned for the coming year could be even larger than anticipated. Construction of phase 1 of Prince Albert’s new recreation complex, which features two rinks and an aquatic centre is scheduled to begin in the fall, and Dionne explained phase two – a large arena with WHL regulation seating capacity for 4,500 spectators – might not be far behind.

City manager Jim Toye previously told paNOW the city was working on a business plan to include phase 2 in the initial construction.

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In an interview with paNOW Wednesday, Dionne said that plan to pay for the large $60 million arena will be coming to a council meeting for approval early in the new year, and will involve a combination of borrowing and private money.

“My goal is to have it [the large arena] open in three years,” Dionne said. “The reason is construction costs have come down so much, borrowing costs are the cheapest they’ve been in years, and it’s a thing that we need.”

He added the large arena will be a major economic driver for the city, hosting not just hockey games, but trade shows and other events.

Future for forestry

Dionne also sees good things on the horizon for the local forestry industry in the coming year. The new manufacturing plant he campaigned on during the election is nearly ready to make a formal announcement, he explained – and that could be just the beginning of growth in the sector.

“I think you’re going to see lots of movement in forestry in 2021,” Dionne said. “I believe this new plant is just the start of it.”

Dionne said he’s received more inquiries from forestry companies in the last eight months than he has in his entire eight-year tenure as mayor. The decimation of British Columbian forests by the spruce beetle has spurred renewed interest in Saskatchewan’s stocks, he said.

Asked about his New Year’s message for Prince Albert residents, Dionne urged them to be patient and added news of the vaccine has him feeling optimistic lately.

“Continue to follow the rules and we’ll get through this,” he said.

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alison.sandstrom@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @alisandstrom