Rink studies going ahead
Charlottetown takes another step toward replacing Simmons Sport Centre
The City of Charlottetown recently took a step towards building a third ice surface at Bell Aliant Centre.
This ice pad will eventually replace the aging Simmons Sport Centre.
Council passed a resolution at a meeting on Dec. 17 approving $40,000 in additional capital funds being added to the 2020-21 capital budget grant for Capital Area Recreation Inc. (CARI) to cover associated costs to undertake the necessary report and other expenses related to submitting a funding application to the federal government’s Investing in Canada Program (ICIP).
The resolution also approves $10,000 in additional capital funds to be added to the 2020-21 capital budget for the parks and recreation department. This money will be used to engage consultants and compile information on a decommissioning plan for Simmons.
With the way the funding breaks down, the federal government would handle 40 per cent of the cost, the province would foot 33 per cent of the bill while the city would be on the hook for 27 per cent.
Decommissioning Simmons, which was built in 1973, has been on council’s radar since a report on the subject was done in 2013.
Coun. Terry Bernard, chairman of council’s standing committee on parks and recreation, said the city is looking to access money under ICIP’s climate change mitigation fund, which will provide up to 75 per cent of the cost of a new ice surface.
The plan, as it stands now, is to add a third ice surface at Bell Aliant Centre and create a triplex.
“We’re going down the path of building a third pad down at CARI,’’ Bernard said. “This money will go to pay for that.’’
In order to qualify for the ICIP money, the city has to have a study done that shows where the arena is going and what the design will look like. It also has to have a study done that shows the federal government there is a tear down plan for Simmons.
Bernard said the new ice surface will be energy efficient and include solar panels.
“This is the same program that Tyne Valley and Rustico are using to build their rinks. It really comes down to a net zero rink.’’
Mayor Philip Brown these studies are merely to see if the city can qualify under the federal program.,
“If it shows that it can’t work and that we can’t do it, for whatever reasons, then we have to look at another source of funding,’’ Brown said. “There was a report commissioned in 2013 about Simmons but nothing was done. We’re doing something. You have to do something instead of standing around talking about it.’’
The mayor added that the city can’t afford to keep pouring money into patchwork repairs for Simmons.
The plan is to replace the pool next to Simmons and the city is not ruling out some type of ice surface going up where Simmons presently stands.