Update on new Convention and Cultural Events Centre progress

That’s where this project sits right now: securing more funding from the federal government with a plan in place to put shovels in the ground the moment the funding is secured. While the city does have a lobbyist and members of council campaigning for the funding, it’s the public that has helped get more eyes on the project.

The city held a letter writing campaign this past August to show federal ministers the amount of public support for the project, and that showed a lot of success according to Guidinger.

“I think the community needs to know that those things are important. Something that we’ve heard when we have discussions with federal ministers is ‘we’ve heard of you guys, we’ve heard of this project, tell us more about this project’, and they specifically reference the community letter writing campaign. So I think the community can make a difference.”

With grocery prices putting the pinch on the public’s wallets and property taxes going up in Prince Albert this year, the question has been raised about whether or not the public is still showing support for the project. Guidinger said that during the city’s February announcement of the federal government’s $15 million commitment, public support was still very high.

“Obviously, I can’t speak on behalf of all the community, but we had it in a little nook of the Lake Country Co-op Leisure Centre (LCCLC) that’ll lead to the new event centre, there must have been 150 people there, and the buzz in that room was just nothing but positive. Our job is to make sure that we have nice things and that we do it responsibly, and that’s what we’re committed to.”

The recent success of the LCCLC is another reason why confidence is so high in bringing another facility to the city. Last week, the city released numbers on how many people have used the pool at the LCCLC so far, and from January to the end of May, 2026, more than twice as many people came through in five months compared to the best year ever at the now-closed Frank Dunn Pool.

Including the rinks at the LCCLC, there’s already been a huge economic impact, according to Director of Parks, Recreation and Culture Jody Boulet. He said that the city has been able to bring tournaments to Prince Albert that have never come before, and having a larger Convention and Cultural Events Centre would open the city up to even more and larger events.

“The rinks as well have been very well received. The tournaments that we’re able to host, the economic return that that’s driving in the community has been very positive, but what we’re seeing is also the introduction of new partnerships. I’ll point to a couple with our First Nations partners, tournaments that have been brought to the city that we couldn’t host before due to the facility space, that brings significant economic return to the community as well.”

Boulet said that he’s spent lots of time in the LCCLC talking with families that have come from B.C., Manitoba, and everyone in between, and he’s heard people raving about the new facility. He believes having facilities like that are what attract new people to make Prince Albert their home.

“The consistent message that I’ve heard from those people that have come to the community is how beautiful this facility, is why it’s very important and decisions they’re going to make to return to future events and why they’re choosing to make Prince Albert a destination moving forward.”

Councillor Dawn Kilmer echoed that statement by pointing to the new expansion of the Victoria hospital, which is about 50 per cent complete.

“We have in Prince Albert now this beautiful, almost a billion-dollar hospital – that’s regional – bringing in professionals and opportunities for our youth to see professionals that look like them working in that facility. With that draw comes 500 if not more jobs, and that brings them to our community. Once you’re in our community, people go, ‘oh yeah, we love Prince Albert, it’s the best hidden gem.’ But we need the recreational facilities to help families continue to grow and prosper.”

The City is planning another letter writing campaign aimed at federal ministers once again to create more buzz in Ottawa towards the project in Prince Albert, but timing on that is key. The campaign is likely to start in August.

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nick.nielsen@pattisonmedia.com

by Nick Nielsen

Update on new Convention and Cultural Events Centre progress

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