It’s not often you take on a $1.2-million project without assuming any kind of debt.
That’s what the Town of Petawawa has done after years of fundraising and planning for renovations at the Civic Centre, which was originally built in the 1970’s.
The project included replacing the concrete refrigerated floor and rink board system with work completed by Frecon.
Mayor Bob Sweet says without any provincial or federal grant funding, the town put away a couple hundred thousand dollars a year to pay for the project.
Town Councillor Theresa Sabourin, who is also a member of the Petawawa Civic Centre fundraising committee, says it’s nice to see the finished project and adds this arena will serve the community for many years to come.
Director of Community Services Kelly Williams says even though they ran into delays with getting the glass for the boards, they were still able to get work done in time for the rink to be open for the hockey season.
With COVID-19 restrictions starting to lift in Ontario, Williams says the Civic Centre will reopen to full capacity today (Tuesday, October 26th, 2021).
He adds the new board system will hold up for at least another 30-years.
The old board system was sold to Laurentian Valley who plans to recycle the boards to use at a brand new outdoor rink.
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