Small northern Ontario towns weigh costly arena repairs as community pressure mounts

Faith Greco · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 15, 2025 5:50 AM EDT | Last Updated: 12 minutes ago

Two tiny bluish Ontario towns are grappling with however to sphere aging arenas astatine the bosom of their communities, arsenic rising costs, information concerns and beardown section enactment propulsion them to act.

Powassan municipality assembly is inactive deciding however to proceed aft structural issues astatine the Trout Creek Community Centre and arena forced a unopen down successful March. 

After an engineering study this autumn questioned whether the extortion of the 50-year-old arena could past a dense snowfall load this winter, impermanent pillars were installed astir the rink.

But the engineers have made it wide that a much imperishable solution is needed. 

"I thought that this was a fix we could support moving guardant with the installation until we find however to repair the archetypal station columns. But our technologist has told america that, no, it was one, a 1 twelvemonth fix," said Mayor Peter McIsaac.

"Now we person to look astatine different avenues, arsenic acold arsenic actually rehabilitating the structure."

The municipality of 3,300 people has issued a petition for proposals to asses the harm and urge repairs and McIsaac said they expect to question backing from the national and provincial governments. 

He explained that a caller arena for Trout Creek is disconnected the array for now, with a projected outgo of astir $20 million. Previous estimates for contiguous repairs were betwixt $1 cardinal and $2 million. 

"My preferred option, and I'm lone 1 subordinate of council, would be to rehabilitate that existing gathering and support it open for the adjacent procreation to usage it," McIsaac said. 

While assembly hasn't yet made a decision, McIsaac said residents person made it known however overmuch the installation matters. 

"This arena is simply a small spot antithetic than most... this was built by the radical of Trout Creek," helium said.

"It's the parents and grandparents of the existent members of Trout Creek that really built this arena... it's been the centre of the assemblage for 50 positive years, and radical privation to support it that way." 

Arena successful Mindemoya approved for repairs

A divided Central Manitoulin assembly ballot past week approved large repairs to the J.H. Burt Memorial arena successful Mindemoya, with Mayor Richard Stephens casting the tie-breaking vote. 

Initially the terms tag for the renovations was $40,000. The program was to adhd supports to the westbound partition to support it from failing, allowing the assemblage a fewer much years of usage portion assembly determined the adjacent steps.

However, an amendment by Coun. Dale Scott projected a caller fund of $150,000 to instantly repair the partition for a much imperishable solution. 

While not each councillors agreed, the question was passed and a petition for proposals volition beryllium issued successful the coming months. 

"The full westbound partition volition beryllium upgraded to a coagulated wall," said Stephens. 

"The arena is similar immoderate different arena successful a tiny municipality similar we have. It's benignant of the centre of activities, some summertime and winter. So having afloat facilities… and each of the gathering is the desired intent of it, and we're going to marque definite that happens," helium added.

The Mindemoya arena remains partially unfastened for assemblage events, with the country adjacent the westbound partition closed disconnected for safety. 

The municipality plans to screen costs done a premix of interior and outer loans arsenic good arsenic donations. 

A pancake supper fundraiser brought successful $12,000 earlier this period and Stephens said assemblage members are anxious to lend more.