By Geoff Smith

Grant will help enhance rebuilt Wilkie Community Centre, could be running by October

May 6, 2016 | 5:00 PM

People in Wilkie may enjoy an enhanced experience when repairs are completed to the area’s fire-ravaged multi-purpose facility.

The fire which broke out on Oct. 9, 2015 caused serious damage to the Wilkie Community Centre, which includes skating and curling rinks and a hall. The fire forced local hockey teams to play out of neighbouring towns, and even caused last-minute relocation of advance polls for the federal election.

Emergency repairs were completed two months later on Dec. 15. The repairs were then followed by work on the ceiling beams, insulation and some doors. Now, the town looks to complete the job; the tender for the main restoration work is scheduled to close May 13.

“There’s a lot of electrical, mechanical work that needs to be done,” Town Administrator Lana Gerein said. “Basically, putting everything back in. Everything has pretty much been gutted in the dance hall, the kitchen, the curling rink lounge and our booth as well as our arena lobby. So we have theatre seating to go back in. We have kitchen equipment to go back in, we have flooring, we have walls that need to be reconstructed.”

Beyond that, town council will decide on facility enhancements this Monday, May 9.

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“They’re looking at things like putting air conditioning in the hall, which we don’t have,” she said. “We’re looking at possibly doing a few different things in the curling rink: adding some change rooms, making the washrooms wheelchair accessible,” she added, explaining that they’re limited to the existing footprint of the building. Another consideration is LED lighting over the curling ice.

The cost of the restoration work won’t be known until the winning bid is selected. Replacement costs will be covered by insurance, but any extras will come with a price tag. Gerein is pleased with the support coming from the business community, as well as a fundraiser organized by the recreation board and the Wilkie Outlaws senior hockey team that raised $25,000.

Gerein said there won’t be any more fundraisers until council decides what to add to the facility so a goal can be set.

The project received some good news today, May 6. Financial services organization Concentra, part of the credit union system, awarded the centre $10,000 under its ’empowering your communities’ campaign. The Wilkie Community Centre was nominated by Jennifer Goodall, an Innovation Credit Union employee who also serves on the local recreation board.

The time frame for improvements will be set during the tender process. But Gerein says the goal is to have the ice plant running by October 1.

gsmith@jpbg.ca

Twitter: @smithco