ESTEVAN - The wait will be a little longer for a new score clock to be installed at Affinity Place.
Estevan city council received a report from parks and facilities manager Rod March at Monday night’s meeting. It outlined the options for the installation of the unit for Affinity Place.
The supplier, IKS Media, said it would likely be a five-day process to remove the current scoreboard from Affinity Place and install the new one.
March noted the parts are currently in China and are to be shipped in October or November to Vancouver and then sent to Regina. A guaranteed shipping date has not been determined.
An agreement is not in place for someone to purchase the current clock, either, but IKS continues to look on the city’s behalf and there is interest in Alberta.
Due to events booked at Affinity in the 2022-23 season, including the provincial curling events that will happen in January and February 2023, the events centre is fully booked for this season. March said there is little room to manoeuvre for scheduling without having a significant impact on user groups.
“We are aware of these impacts, and we are committed to find the best solution for the users and patrons,” March wrote in the correspondence.
March brought forward two options. One was to install it in May of next year after ice is removed and there is less demand. Council voted unanimously for the option. It also gives IKS the opportunity to fully inspect Affinity’s clock hoist system and building mechanics at a time when they intend to have lifts in the building during curling provincials.
“Inspecting systems in advance will allow IKS plenty of time to deal with potential issues prior to a mid-May 2023 install,” March wrote.
The other option was a two-phase installation. It would involve removing the existing clock and installing a temporary screen, similar to what was in place for the Centennial Cup, over a three-night span. The operation would take place from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. at a mutually-agreeable time to reduce the impact to users.
The existing clock would be packaged for sale and stored somewhere in the city.
The new clock would be installed over a two-day window.
March noted there are risks with option 2 in that any delay may affect the facility users’ ability to operate as intended.
“IKS is optimistic that the procedure will proceed as planned, however, they caution that problems do arise, and we should be prepared for this,” March said.
The new score clock is the legacy project of the 2022 Centennial Cup.
