The Penetanguishene Memorial Community Centre, a focal point of the community, faces an uncertain future.
Should the town invest more money in the 65-year-old facility in an attempt to extend its lifespan or build a new facility?
There are people on both sides of the fence. But Sundae Brown, the head coach of the Penetanguishene Skating Club, thinks there's nothing wrong with the Maria Street facility.
“The community centre is a huge part of the community, whether you’re public skating, playing hockey, figure skating, or going to a conference,” Brown told MidlandToday.
She said the facility has served her and the club well for the last several decades and she could only think of a few quick fixes that would make it good as new.
“From my perspective, the facility operates well,” she said. “If you want to be specific, there are huge doors that have huge winds coming through so if it’s -30 outside, it’s freezing. So there could be some maintenance done on those things.”
Otherwise, the ice surface, the changerooms, and the lobby are all good, Brown said.
“I don’t see any reason to tear it down and build something new,” she said.
A request for proposals for a feasibility study on the arena was recently released by council.
It’s been a long-time debate in the community, said Sherry Desjardins, director of recreation and community services.
“It's just because the facility is getting on in years and council has to decide what they're going to do with it essentially because it's so old,” she said.
That's why the RFP was issued: To invite consultants to submit proposals for a feasibility study. The tender closed on Feb. 20, and now council will review the submissions before assigning the project to one consultant.
“The need is that we have to make a decision as to where we're going to move on this whole process,” said Mayor Doug Leroux, adding it’s all about whether council wants to continue the upkeep of the facility or move onto building some new.
“At this point, it's all unknown and that's why we asked for a feasibility study to have them tell us where we stand with these two buildings in as much as their conditions,” he said.
Desjardins said a building condition assessment done in 2017 outlined a variety of things that needed to be changed or updated. For example, the large roof needs to be replaced. The report said that an assessment of the remaining service lifespan of building elements was also conducted, as well as short- and long-term replacement needs of all items, with a replacement value of $5,000 or greater.
“The town has been saving in reserves for (roof repairs) for quite some time,” she said. “The assessment basically verified what we had assumed: the building would need a lot of money in the next little bit to keep it going in the future. And in the end, you still have a 65-year-old building.”
According to budget documents Desjardins shared, the operating budget for the arena has gone up by $64,675 for the current year from $564,838 in 2019.
Leroux said his personal opinion is that it's time to move on and build a new facility.
“When I campaigned, I had quite a number of ratepayers saying that they would like to see a new arena and I was part of that thought,” he said. “But that's not my decision to make. So we will see where it goes.”
Brown said she couldn’t imagine it would be cheaper to build something new.
“It really is a good facility from my perspective,” she said. “My skaters do well with it, we have competitions and ice shows there. The Kings play there, there are good conference rooms that we use.”
The feasibility study will also look beyond the current state of the buildings, said Desjardins.
She said it’s a well-used facility with the town running its own recreation programs onsite. Several community groups use the ice, such as the Penetanguishene Minor Hockey Association, Penetanguishene Skating Club, Penetanguishene/Midland Minor Ball Hockey Association, and North Simcoe Girls Hockey Association.
As well, Desjardins said, the Brian Orser Hall is one of the largest halls in town, so people rent it for different events and parties.
“The feasibility study will bring onboard another consultant that will look at what the town needs with respect to a community centre,” she said.
People may know what they want, but it may not necessarily be what the town needs, added Desjardins, noting the consultants will look at the town’s planned growth and both current and projected demographics.
The report, which will take a good part of this year to be completed, will also look at the costs of maintaining the current buildings or building a new facility, she said.
“We’re trying to get all the information that they need to make a well-informed decision for the future of the facility,” said Desjardins. “If you're building something or you're retrofitting the arena or you're building a new facility, you're not building it just for today's needs. You need to understand the needs of the community 40 years from now.”
Future expansion is something Brown said she could get behind.
“We’re a small club, but we’re growing incredibly,” she said of the 85-member skating club. “The way we’re growing and the way Penetang Minor Hockey (Association) is growing, there could be a use for another ice surface.”
Brown said she was curious to know if the consultants would also look at a possible joining forces with nearby municipalities.
“I don’t know if there’s a possibility of amalgamating the facilities with Midland,” she said. “I know our ice time is cheaper than theirs, and people here are very community oriented.”
Desjardins said there are lots of unknowns and unanswered questions that will only be answered once the study is completed.
