Regina recreation plan due next week
Open house sessions next Wednesday, Thursday
Last Updated: Thursday, November 19, 2009 | 9:59 PM CT
CBC News
Plans for city-owned hockey arenas in Regina will be unveiled next Wednesday. (CBC)Hockey fans worried about the future of local ice rinks will find out next Wednesday what city officials are recommending for recreational space in Regina.
Two open houses are scheduled to explain and answer questions about the recommendations.
The first is scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 25, at MacNeill Elementary School on Whelan Drive, beginning at 7 p.m. The next is on Thursday night, Nov. 26, at the Eastview Community Centre, 615 6th Ave.
Regina launched a comprehensive review of recreation facilities in 2008, covering pools, ice rinks, community centres, art galleries and other such spaces. One issue identified by citizens concerned the future of ice rinks for recreational hockey players.
'There will be no investment in new facilities at the expense of not properly funding existing facilities that continue to meet the community needs.'—City of Regina planning document
Regina has a number of aging arenas that require extensive upgrades or replacement.
The city said the recreation plan will be published on its website at noon on Nov. 25, just ahead of the first open house session.
A June 2009 report called a "planning framework" is already on the city's website. It is described as a guideline for city administration in preparing final recommendations.
The planning document says "there will be no investment in new facilities at the expense of not properly funding existing facilities that continue to meet the community needs".
It adds, however, that if a facility has reached the end of its useful life, rebuilding it may not be the preferred action.
Closing facilities an option
"Therefore, opportunities for decommissioning facilities that no longer provide benefits to the public will be explored," the document said.
The document also provided an inventory of city-owned recreation space.
It noted that Mosaic Stadium, the home of the Saskatchewan Roughriders Football club, had been upgraded.
"Playing surface has been upgraded within the past year and is quite high-quality overall," the report found. "There is some need for upgrading of support space."
Despite that finding, the city is examining the feasibility of building a new domed football and multi-purpose facility that could cost $350 million.
