Left are President Rick Kindrachuk and CEO Tim Keller of the Lake Country Co-op and right are Mayor Greg Dionne and Ralph Boychuk, a volunteer with the fundraising group for what is now called the Lake Country Leisure Centre. (Susan McNeil/paNOW)

By Susan McNeil

New building, new name

New pool/arenas to get Lake Country Co-op name

Oct 1, 2024 | 4:42 PM

Lake Country Co-op will soon have a strong presence in The Yard District as a sponsorship deal with the City of Prince Albert will name the arena/aquatic facility the Lake Country Leisure Centre.

Over the next 25 years, Co-op will pay $10 million to the city for naming rights to the facility, which is estimated to be open to the public in February.

“The legacy sponsorship grants us the exclusive naming rights to the new recreation facility, now called the Lake Country Co-op Leisure Centre,” said Rick Kindrachuk, president of the Co-op board of directors.

He said the decision is based on the company’s commitment to youth and families and the community.

“Lake Country’s decision to commit to this incredible project reflects our long-standing belief that a strong community is built on shared investments and its future.”

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Co-op owns several lots in The Yard near the new leisure centre and one of those will be a new grocery store, CEO Tim Keller confirmed. The other lots have yet to be determined.

“This project aligns perfectly with our mission to enhance the success and vibrancy of our communities. Lake Country Co-op is excited to build a brighter, more connected future,” said Kindrachuk.

Mayor Greg Dionne said that the partnership with Co-op is just one of many examples of how the city can partner with other organizations and make bigger projects happen.

A second phase of the city’s plans for The Yard include a 4,500 seat events and cultural centre. That project is shovel ready and the city recently announced they would partner with the Woodland Cree Nations to help secure funding and share ownership of the facility in order to get it built.

They still need funding from higher levels of government in order to move forward.

“To the board, the members of the Co-op, I just don’t know how to thank you,” said Dionne. “You already had a legacy in our community but now you put a stamp on a big city facility so your legacy will continue forever.”

He also noted that the 25 year sponsorship coincides with the city’s 25 year loan amortization period and that they have said taxes won’t be raised to pay for the leisure centre.

Part of the funding plan for what is now the Lake Country Leisure Centre is public donations. To help raise the money, the city hired DCG philanthropic services, which has led the campaign to bring in a hoped for $18 million.

Ralph Boychuk is a volunteer member of the fundraising cabinet and said the Co-op sponsorship is a great example of how the community can support the project.

“When we first started collaborating on this project, we knew we were undertaking something truly transformative for our city and we knew it was going to wasn’t going to be easy as volunteers,” he said.

They will be launching a community-based fundraising campaign in a few weeks.

The contractor is supposed to turn the building over to the city at the end of December and it will take about a month for city crews to install the seats and furnishings that are not part of the construction contract.

Signs and sound systems also need to be put in, which means that public use could start as soon as February.

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susan.mcneil@pattisonmedia.com