While Estevan city council has approved $250,000 in upgrades for the boards and the spectator area at the Power Dodge Arena, that doesn't mean we've had the last of the conversations on the future of the rink.
Council decided last Monday to spend the money on the arena, citing safety concerns with the boards and the cramped quarters of the spectator area. (The latter has been discussed for many years). The money was included in this year's budget, but council wanted to get feedback from user groups, like the Estevan Minor Hockey Association and the Estevan Figure Skating Club, before giving its final blessing.
Any further discussions about spending significant money at the Power Dodge Arena will likely be accompanied by chatter about the building's future. It's an older venue that's showing its age. Upgrades have occurred over the years, but eventually, it's going to have to be replaced.
You're not going to see the replacement happening any time soon. The current council isn't going to authorize anything, not with a civic election happening in November. And with at least two members of the current council not seeking re-election, it wouldn't be right to saddle a new council with a large investment like a new rink.
Besides, with the uncertainty associated with the federal government's plan to phase out conventional coal-fired power by 2030, the city won't be eager to have any big projects unless absolutely necessary. (The city has a very ambitious goal to retire its long-term debt by 2030).
If you're expecting a ground-breaking ceremony on a new arena before the end of this year or next year, you're going to be disappointed.
Two arenas in Estevan is a necessity. If something happened to the Power Dodge Arena, a second rink would instantly move to the top of the priority list.
A lot of people associated with user groups will tell you we need three. And it was nice to have three rinks for the six years from when Affinity Place opened in 2011 until the Civic Auditorium closed in 2017. But having three rinks was a luxury.
But it is a positive to start the planning process soon for the Power Dodge Arena's replacement. You can't wait for it to fail, or for it to be on its last legs, before you start looking ahead. Have the plans in place. Know what you want. Have a ballpark cost estimate. And start fundraising and thinking about grants, because it's not going to happen with just taxpayer dollars alone when it's going to cost at least $10 million.
When a replacement is discussed, a twin rink concept should be seriously considered. It would require a lot more planning, and would obviously cost more, but the payoff would be significant.
We'd have the third ice surface that so many in the community covet. There would be efficiencies associated with having two ice surfaces sharing the same ice plant.
Players wouldn't have to travel out of town for home games any longer. And we could have more events offered in Affinity Place during the ice sports season.
The Power Dodge Arena has served this community for decades. But there are elements in its design that are obsolete. Nobody would build an arena in this day and age in which players and officials have to navigate through the spectator area to access the dressing rooms, which are small by today's standards. It's good that the city is finally adding more areas for the crowd, but it should have been addressed years ago.
The day is going to come when the Power Dodge Arena has to be replaced. We don't know when that will occur, but at least the planning can start soon.
