Arena needs $1,305,000 in new infrastructure but grant application for 73 per cent looking good

Craig Bakay | Oct 17, 2019

The bad news is that the Frontenac Community Arena needs $1,305,000 over the next two years to replace aging infrastructure.

The good news is that there is a grant available that would pay 73.33 per cent ($956,956) of the project and Arena Manager Tim Laprade told South Frontenac Council at its regular meeting Tuesday night in Sydenham that there’s a good chance an application would be successful.

“The arena was opened in 1976 and funded through a Wintario grant,” Laprade said. “The typical life cycle of an arena is 20-40 years so we’re past that.”

In 2020, Laprade proposes spending $305,000 to replace the condenser unit and upgrade its tower ($120,000), replacing the plate heat exchanger (chiller system) ($150,000), replacing the brine pump package ($25,000) and a floor slushing and glycol charge ($10,000).

He said that since 2017, they’ve spent $10,000 on maintenance for the brine pump, $10,500 on the ammonia chiller and $9,200 on the condenser unit.

In 2021, Laprade proposes removing and replacing the concrete slab, brine lines, boards, glass, benches and timekeepers box as well as improvements to the flooring area around the pad and in the ice surfacer room.

All this would cost an estimated $1,000,000.

However, the Community Culture and Recreation (Rehabilitation and Renovation stream) of the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program has grants designed for just this sort of thing.

Since the Arena is jointly owned by both South and Central Frontenac Townships, the Arena will be submitting an application for the ICIP grant for these projects with both Townships as the co-applicants, he said.

“The arena is operated as a not-for-profit at arm’s length from the Townships,” Laprade said. “As such it is a registered charity and these projects regularly get first opportunity for these grants.”

“I am on the (arena) board and everything Tim is saying is needed,” said Coun. Norm Roberts. “We’ve been getting away with this so far.”

“Staff has told us this is as strong an application as there is,” said Mayor Ron Vandewal. “It checks every box.

“But if we don’t get the grant, we’ll have to do it anyways.”

South Frontenac approved the grant request but it will also have to be approved by Central Frontenac Council. South funds 59 per cent of anticipated operating deficit and Central 41 per cent.

Laprade said the arena is the second-most visited facility in the Township, after the library system (which consists of several libraries).

He also said that if the work is not done, there is a significant health risk from an ammonia leak. In 2017 an ammonia leak resulted in the death of three people, including the arena manager and two maintenance workers.