North Arena project gets topped up $500K to finish interior work

City council has poured $500,000 in additional funds into the modernization of the North Arena as inflation costs raise the price of construction.

In 2021, the City allocated $3 million for the total project in their capital budget with work on the ice plant, floor slab, and puck boards.

Roughly $925,000 was remaining in the project budget to finish the dressing rooms, lobby, viewing area, and to create a useable and accessible space in the mezzanine area.

Council agreed to top up the project at Tuesday’s regular meeting to get it done.

“We’ve plowed some money in there,” said Mayor Craig Copeland on Lakeland Connect’s The Morning After. “We took out the ice plant, took the refrigeration underneath the slab, put in a new slab, because the North rink always makes beautiful ice, and then put in new boards. Now the new money is now to fix the interior of the building itself.

“It’s no surprise to anybody. Contracts are coming in as a lot more money now with all the inflation.”

The timelines for the project are tight as CAO Kevin Nagoya described the construction as a “significant amount of work” during the council meeting. 

Holding off until after Lakeland Lacrosse Association is finished hosting Provincials from age groups 4 to 17, construction will begin in July and is hoped to be done by the end of October.

One of the proposed design images council looked over on Tuesday of the North Arena viewing area. Image: City of Cold Lake.

Used consistently as the third rink in the city, Cold Lake Minor Hockey had spoke to council in 2020 about keeping the North Arena open with the threat of losing the surface that hosts almost 40 per cent of their practice time.

The City had contemplated shutting the facility, but agreed in June 2020 to keep the “blue beauty” alive.

Copeland hinted that a blue and white colour scheme will be used for accents around the rink.