McLennan Curling Club one big step closer to finalizing plans for new multi-million dollar facility in community

Kevin Laliberte
Smoky River Express

The Town of McLennan is proceeding with plans to construct a new curling rink facility in the northeast section of the municipality. Town council endorsed a motion last week to absorb the expense for soil testing procedures on the municipally-owned land (just east of the old curling rink) as part of the first step in determining whether the location is suitable for development. “Soil sample testing needs to be carried out to ensure the land in question is adequate to accommodate a new curling rink facility,” said McLennan Local Recreation Board President Don Regier at last Wednesday’s recreation board meeting. 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 consensus regarding a finalized location for the multi-million dollar facility. “This location gives us the ability to expand should there be a need in the future to construct a new arena,” Regier pointed out back in July. The next step now shifts toward coming up with an overall interior design concept (for engineering purposes) which meets the requirements of curlers in the community. That strategy is being placed under a microscope at an important upcoming meeting scheduled for the evening of Sept. 25. “We need to sit down as a curling club with engineers, the town and recreation board to finalize the interior design components of the project,” says Rita L’Heureux, co-president of the McLennan Curling Club. “It’s time to make some concrete decisions.” The curling club’s priorities are to have a three-sheet ice surface as part of a two-storey structure that includes a viewing area, lounge and kitchen with washrooms. Project cost The projected price tag of the project is pegged at around $3-million with revenue expected to come though provincial grant funding, fundraising endeavours and municipal support from both the Town of McLennan and Municipal District of Smoky River 130. The upcoming meeting is taking place at the Town Conference Centre board room beginning at 7 p.m. All residents wishing to provide input are encouraged to attend.