Arena ready for the fair

Nicholsons allow community use, while planning changes

First the fair, then storage, maybe.

The Nicholson family, which purchased the old Campbellford-Seymour arena from the municipality for $275,000 in 2025, is working with the fair board that has used the facility for decades.

The building will be used for the fair this weekend.

At a meeting on Tuesday evening to discuss plans for the building, Ken Nicholson said the family plans to use the building for individual storage units but hopes it can accommodate the fair in years to come.

“The intentions are to work with the community as long as we possibly can,” he said. “We weren’t sure when we purchased the arena what we were going to do with it.”

The current plan is to install individual storage units that will not have any impact on the existing structure, he said.

“As long as it’s open and available, we have an agreement with the fair board that they can use it as long as it is possible.”

He suggested that the best situation would be if the old ice surface was used for seasonal storage so it could be cleared during the fair and used for livestock showing as in the past.

“Structurally, the building itself is in great shape,” and it would be great to keep it, he added, noting that the owners want to find some use that will generate revenue to cover their overhead costs.

Amanda Twigg, President of the Campbellford-Seymour Agricultural Society, told council that the new owners have worked well with the fair board in preparation for festivities this weekend.

The arena land is zone community facility and needs to be rezoned to permit its use as a storage facility. The Nicholsons are seeking approval for a zoning exception, while retaining the community facility designation.

Nicholson said they hope to be able to use the facility for community activities.

Planner Cameron Law explained that private buildings can have community facility zoning.

Even if the zoning change is approved, the municipality will have control when a building permit is sought, he said. Northumberland County said it wants to be involved at that stage, because the building is located on County Road 38.

The arena site does not include the parking lot adjacent to the building, but that is already owned by the Nicholsons, since it is part of another parcel where development is planned.

Deputy Mayor Mike Metcalf asked the planning department whether it wouldn’t make more sense to rezone the building as commercial and then permit the storage use.

Law said that was an option, but staff felt the community facility designation would be simpler.

Planning Director Jim Peters said that retaining the community facility zoning would permit use by the fair board or other community events, but he agreed that a commercial zoning was an option.

A decision on the rezoning will be made by council at a future meeting.

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