Kennebec Sports Centre Unveiled

Sandra Reed | Oct 25, 2023

Town Crier, Paddy O'Connor, officially opened the unveiling of the new Kennebec Sports Centre in Arden, on Sat., October 21st. (5998 Arden Rd.)

His bell ringing and boisterous shoutouts were followed by inspiring praise for this project from Central Frontenac Mayor, Frances Smith and councillor, Lynn Klages as well as Jeff Matson (MC for the event) and Gord Brown, chief engineer and coordinator.

To quote a few wise words from the Town Crier: "Healthy communities promote interaction among their members to strengthen their community spirit. People who are linked by social ties, who share a common perspective and engage in joint activities, make a community a better place to live. Today I'm here to say, Mission Accomplished!"

The festivities began at 8:30 a.m., when breakfast was served and continued into lunch hour for the barbecue. Visitors had a chance to peruse the new Sports Centre and meet the people whose efforts made it happen. For the kids, there were bumper balls, a jousting arena and face painting. Inside the Community Centre next door, David Swann was showcasing a huge display from the Kennebec and District Historical Society.

According to the masterminds behind this project, turning the old sports shack into a new sports centre, was a dream that started about 10 years ago. It happened in stages which led up to the new outdoor ice pad in 2021 and eventually this new building.

The Ontario Trillium Foundation donated $20,000 to the ice pad project, which allowed the organizers to use the balance of their fundraising money towards a new sports centre, right beside the rink. They continue with vital fundraising for finishing touches, outdoor washrooms and a possible storage shed for equipment.

The New Sports Centre provides a much improved comfort station for skaters and hockey players and could potentially be used for meetings and small gatherings. For the past 6 months, volunteers  (mostly retirees) have been working from sunrise to sunset to complete the building before winter.

At 1:00 p.m. that day, officials lined up for the unveiling of the new sign. Spectators gave a big round of applause as the curtain dropped and councillor, Lynn Klages cut the ribbon. 

Next on the agenda was the hockey raffle at 3:00 p.m., which netted $1,470 for the new centre. All these festivities were followed by a kids' movie (with refreshments) later that day.

As part of this same project, sports minded people can now rollerblade and play ball hockey, basketball, pickleball, bucket golf and cornhole at this same location. Many folks were playing pickleball on the ice pad that day but don't worry, there will be ice again for the skaters and hockey players this winter. 

The next Hockey Raffle at the Kennebec Sports Centre will be Mon. Dec.18th at 8:00 p.m.  Prizes will be 1) Leaf tickets for game Dec. 27th. versus Ottawa Senators and 2) Belleville Senators ticket voucher for a future 2023/24 season game. 

For tickets and info please contact:

Jeff Matson at 613-532-1004 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.