Sunny Life rec centre almost ready
Sunny Life rec centre almost ready
Hockey should start in three weeks, mayor says
The final touches are being made on the Sunny Life Recreation and Wellness Centre and the ice should be ready for hockey by Oct. 17, Mayor Bob Crate says.
Today, sod is being laid, concrete curbs are being poured, and later this week, weather permitting, the parking lot should be paved. Crate said the interior of the building is complete and the municipality expects to take over the building from the contractors on Sept. 30.
The ice-making unit has been started and other mechanical elements are being readied. Crate said they hope to have ice time ready to rent by Oct. 17 or 18.
Councillor Daniel Giddings, president and co-owner of the Trent Hills Thunder, said the team is planning a big celebration for its first home game in the new arena on Sunday, Oct. 20 at 4 p.m. when it takes on the Amherstview Jets.
Crate said he expects the new Trent Hills YMCA, which will operate the pool and fitness areas, will need two to three weeks to get its equipment tested and ready so it will probably open in early November.
Already, the Y is selling discounted memberships to the new centre. Crate was the first to sign up.
Under the contract with the Y, the municipality will pay an annual fee for operating expenses that are not covered by the fees charged by the YMCA. The fees, which have drawn some complaints online, are set by the Y. They range from $593 for a youth (under 15) to $830 for an adult.
There had been delays getting electricity and natural gas hooked up, but both those issues have been settled.
“I was excited yesterday to get an email from Peter Burnett (Director of Community Services) saying we were ready to go,” Crate said.
The facility has an ice-pad, fitness centre with two studio rooms, a multi-purpose room, and two pools – a four-lane, a 25-metre pool and therapy pool.
In a report to council last month, Burnett said that the budgeted cost of the recreation centre is $22.7 million. It identified $19 million in funding from various sources. At that point, $18.6 million had been spent on construction.
