Morinville's Ray McDonald Sports Centre can stay open for another two years thanks to some $100,000 in repairs, a report to council suggests – assuming nothing else breaks, of course.
Morinville's Ray McDonald Sports Centre can stay open for another two years thanks to some $100,000 in repairs, a report to council suggests – assuming nothing else breaks, of course.
Town council made plans to build a new recreation centre two years ago after learning that the Ray McDonald arena would need about $4.15 million in repairs to last much beyond this year. The more than 70-year-old building has a leaky, stressed and rotting roof that has required roughly $560,000 in repairs since 2012.
The latest fix came earlier this winter when council signed off on up to $150,000 to repair some rotting roof columns.
The repairs were finished in February and should cost about $106,000, said Claude Valcourt, the town's public works director.
Engineering reports suggest that these repairs should last for at least two years, Valcourt said. The reports also called for annual inspections of the repairs at a cost of $1,500 to $2,000 a year.
“I don't think there are any other major unforeseen (repairs) we need to look at,” Valcourt said, but he noted that the arena's ice plant would need major repairs in two to five years.
Community and protective services director Dave Schaefer said an ice plant fix could cost up to $2 million, not including the cost of a new concrete pad.
This is good news and means that minor hockey can keep playing in Morinville, said Mayor Lisa Holmes – for now, that is.
“Anything can go at any time,” she said, and new arena problems could pop up.
