The status of the Centennial Arena -- home to the Manitoba Junior Hockey League's Swan Valley Stampeders -- is in question moving forward.
The Town of Swan River is holding a public consultation tonight at 8 in the arena's lobby. The biggest question to be answered coming out of the consultation is whether they will renovate the current facility or build a brand new one.
The list of renovations needing to be made starts with the arena's ring slab as the 34" wide section of the concrete at the sides of the rink is shifting which is causing issues. The current dehumidification system is smaller than needed which will lead to early deterioration of the building and impact space comfort and energy usage.
When it comes to the structure of the building, wall cross bracing will need to be inspected and replaced where needed and the roof will also need to be fixed. The estimated cost for renovations will be around $5 to 6 million dollars.
The Centennial Arena's current size is 38,807 sq. ft. To replace the facility with one of a similar size, the price would be upwards of $ 20 million dollars or more.
Lance Jacobson is the Mayor of Swan River and he says these consultations are much needed.
"We haven't had a lot of feedback but we are getting a better understanding of what the community wants," he said. "This is a big job so we're going to make sure we do it right."
