(Submitted photo/City of Prince Albert)

By Jaryn Vecchio

Rec Centre

P.A.’s new rec centre takes another step towards construction

Jan 25, 2022 | 3:00 PM

Work is progressing on Prince Albert’s new aquatic and arena centre.

The city’s council met on Monday where they approved giving the project team the go-ahead to look at potential contractors.

They also gave the green light to several designs for the project.

There were two possible options for the stalls in the parking lot, smaller and more stalls or bigger and less. Council decided to go with the second choice which will create around 1,150 parking spots.

There will also be 26 accessible parking spots. Eighteen will be at the event centre, while the other eight will be put around the aquatic and arena sections.

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Council also approved the designs for stairs and a lifting davit for the pool, ensuring everyone can use it. This would be the city’s only owned pool.

“We’re the third-largest city in the province of Saskatchewan and we don’t own our own swimming pool… that’s a pretty sad statement,” said Mayor Greg Dionne.

Right now, around 75 per cent of designs are finished.

Even when all the designs are done, there’s one major hurdle the city still needs to overcome: funding.

Councillor Tony Head, one of three to vote against moving forward on the project along with Charlene Miller and Terra Lennox-Zepp, claimed he can’t support the project at this time due to the lack of funds.

Despite voting in favour, Councillor Dennis Ogrodnick noted it doesn’t mean the project is 100 per cent going to happen.

“Looking at this drawing on paper, it’s fantastic. If we don’t get provincial and federal funding we can’t afford it, there has to be provincial and federal funding… or private.”

The goal is to have construction start later this spring.

New Home for Raiders

If the project does get its funding, it may just be the next home for the Prince Albert Raiders.

That’s at least the thought for Councillor Blake Edwards who spoke in favour of the project at Monday’s meeting.

The team’s current home, the Art Hauser Centre, is over 50 years old. It was renovated around 15 years ago.

Edwards believes there’s a chance the WHL might move the team out of the city as they don’t appear to be big fans of the current centre.

“There are demands from the WHL that we can’t meet. If we don’t move forward with this, we’ll virtually see the Raiders go bye, out of our city and I don’t want to see that.”

He also added additional renovations to keep the Art Hauser Centre will only be temporary and will, eventually, cost more money than just creating a new home.

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Jaryn.Vecchio@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @princealbertnow