Morinville’s new leisure centre is now open for business, and town residents say they like what they see.
Morinville Mayor Barry Turner and former mayor Lisa Holmes officially opened the Morinville Leisure Centre at 9:08 a.m. Monday by cutting a green ribbon with a pair of oversized scissors. Assisting them were numerous current and former town councillors.
The $30.5-million facility is just east of town on Hwy. 642 and has been under construction since June 2017. The building opened to guests at 6 a.m. Monday.
This project has been almost six years in the making and is opening on time and under budget, Turner said prior to cutting the ribbon. He thanked current and former town councillors, administration, Clark Builders and town residents for helping make this place a reality.
“I’m so honoured and excited to see years of hard work result in the amazing building we’re standing in today.”
The new leisure centre features an NHL-sized ice rink, a field house, running track, fitness room and other amenities.
In an interview, Turner said this facility would draw more people to town and give current residents more recreational opportunities.
“This is a huge day for Morinville, and represents the next major step for our community.”
Holmes, who was mayor when council decided to build this new facility in 2013 and oversaw much of the planning and public consultation for it, credited former mayors Lloyd Bertschi and Paul Krauskopf for laying the groundwork for the leisure centre with their vision for recreation.
“It was a leap of faith,” she said of the decision to build, as the town was looking at the next 30 years of recreation at a time of fiscal uncertainty. She was glad council decided to add a field house to what was originally just a rink, as it made the facility much more inclusive.
“From what I’ve seen of it, it’s beautiful.”
About 10 to 20 people dropped by the leisure centre Monday morning to check it out.
Town resident James Wilkins was one of the first people to pump iron in the fitness room. He said he worked out at St. Albert’s Servus Place five days a week, and saw a lot of the same exercise equipment here that he did there.
“I drive all day for work, so when I come home at night it’ll be a lot easier to come over here than it is to go back to St. Albert,” he said.
Alan Otway of Morinville said the facility’s walking track would be great for seniors in the winter, adding he was very happy to see a toboggan hill being built outside. He was a bit disappointed the parking lot lacked outlets for electric cars or bigger spaces for pickup trucks, though.
Turner said crews would lay trails and plant grass in the 66 acres around the leisure centre this summer. The town would hold a bigger opening ceremony for the leisure centre this September.
The leisure centre is open seven days a week except for holidays from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Call 780-939-7839 for details.
