Assists needed to reach the goal line
Kraft Hockeyville may have put the puck in motion for an upgrade of a North Okanagan rink, but it was taxpayers and drivers who pushed the project across the red line.
An online celebration is to be held today to mark completion of renovations at the Pat Duke arena in Lumby.
It now has four new changing rooms, two renovated changing rooms, new bleachers, and a referees’ room. Previously, changing rooms for women were substandard.
The total project cost was $3.5 million. In 2016, Lumby won the annual Kraft Hockeyville contest promoted by Hockey Night in Canada. For receiving the most votes, the village was awarded $100,000 for arena upgrades.
The plan had also been to play an NHL preseason game between the Edmonton Oilers and the Los Angeles Kings in Lumby. But the arena was deemed not suitable, and the game was held in Vernon.
Once renovation plans were drawn up, it was quickly realized the project would require far more than the $100,000 in prize money. Among other things, the arena, built in 1967, needed structural reinforcement.
A community fundraising drive netted $75,000, Telus provided a grant of $16,000, the North Okanagan Regional District contributed $230,000 of taxpayer funds, and the federal government directed $2.6 million in gas taxes paid by Canadian motorists toward the project.
“It’s really great to see that the federal Gas Tax Fund has helped make it easier for girls and women to nurture their hockey talents,” Catherine McKenna, federal minister for Infrastructure and Communities, said in a press release.
Owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, project completion celebrations will be held only online.
Videos of the event will be shown on the Lumby Kraft Hockeyville Facebook page and the regional district website.
“While it is not the celebration we may have imagined, it’s so great that we can have a shared moment together, even virtually, to mark the achievement and look forward to piling into the old barn together again in the future,” Lumby Mayor Kevin Acton said.