Kevin Laliberte
Editor, Smoky River Express

Well, I’m pleased to say that some progress is finally being made with respect to the construction of a new curling rink facility in McLennan. It came last week after the Town of McLennan endorsed a proposal to foot the bill for soil testing to determine if the northeast part of the municipality (namely the ball diamonds area) is suitable to accommodate the new facility. The consensus was reached one day after the McLennan Local Recreation Board met in town council chambers to discuss the status of the key infrastructure project in the community. The decision comes roughly two months after community stakeholders, including town councillors, members of the recreation board and NewGen Building Systems Inc. Operations Manager Will Moses met behind closed doors in McLennan to come up with a firm decision regarding a finalized location for the projected multi-million dollar facility. Several locations were placed under a microscope for consideration at that time (including next to the arena, along the lakeshore, east of town and the piece of municipally-owned property where the ball diamonds are presently situated) with stakeholders weighing the pros and cons of each option prior to rendering a decision. Coinciding with town council’s decision last week was a move by the recreation board to announce an upcoming meeting date to set the wheels in motions for the various interior design aspects of the facility. That meeting, which is open to curlers and anyone else with a vested interest in the facility, is taking place Sept. 25, 7 p.m. at the Town Conference Centre, and will be used as a starting point for engineering purposes. McLennan Curling Club co-president Rita L’Heureux hit the nail on the head last week when by emphasizing that the time for has come “to make some concrete decisions.” It’s a feeling collectively shared by a strong and successful curling club which has been without a home for the past two years and is itching to get back on the ice. The curling club’s priorities are to have a three-sheet ice surface as part of a two-storey structure that includes a lobby and viewing area, lounge and kitchen and restrooms. Have your voice heard by attending this very important Sept. 25 meeting. Arena condenser arrives McLennan’s H.W. Fish Arena received yet another improvement this past week. The facility was fitted with a brand new condenser (which is used for cooling purposes) last Thursday courtesy of CIMCO Refrigeration. In a related matter regarding the area, town council has turned down a request by the Lakeland Eagles North Peace Hockey League franchise to have the ice surface ready by the start of October for pre-season training camp purposes. The request was made recently to the town by Eagles’ head coach Jimmy McLean. He and other members of the executive committee had hoped for an earlier than usual start to the 2007-’08 campaign to give the hockey club ample time to prepare for the upcoming season, which begins in late October. Town council, in turn, ended up denying the request based on a lack of advance notification on behalf of the Eagles, condenser preparations, and the increased operational costs which an early opening would result in to the municipality. “It’s just not cost-effective for us to open two weeks ahead of schedule, especially without some type of advance warning,” said Tammy Chavis, chief administrative officer.

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