Arena work to start in spring

Photo: File

After winning $100,000 through Kraft Hockeyville in 2016 to go towards arena renovations, the work on Lumby's Pat Duke Memorial Arena should finally wrap this spring.

The Regional District of North Okanagan leveraged that win to create a full reno plan. But as is almost always the case, once the renovation of an older building kicks off, surprises are discovered that alter the cost and timeline.

Changes coming to Duke

A significant amount of planning work was done in consultation with arena stakeholders in late 2018 to ensure the design of the new renovation and expansion would be as practical and efficient as possible, the RDNO said in a release. That feedback has helped MQN Architecture & Interior Design develop the facility plan, but the more cumbersome hurdles have occurred during the detailed design stage.

"In an older building, unforeseen challenges are not uncommon. Most of the complications have been related to the age of the building," said Tannis Nelson, manager of community services for RDNO. "Building codes have changed a lot since this centennial arena was commissioned in 1967, and we must conform to current codes. This has required a lot of thoughtful problem solving and innovative solutions."

"This is a significant investment that we are making for the future," said Rick Fairbairn, Chair of the White Valley Parks, Recreation and Culture Advisory Committee. "We are committed to moving it along as quickly as possible, but we also want to make sure that we get it right."

The Pat Duke Memorial Arena has been serving the community since 1967.

Unfortunately, due to its age, the needs of all of the facility users are not being met, the RDNO said. Due to an insufficient number of change rooms, female ice users have had to use inadequate facilities during co-ed play. The arena also poses challenges for users with mobility issues and does not meet today’s standards for accessibility.

Leveraging the community momentum that was generated through the successful Kraft Hockeyville win, in March 2018 the Village of Lumby and the Regional District of North Okanagan were awarded an additional $2,595,625 million dollars to make improvements to the arena.

Additional funding for the project included a grant from TELUS, and community fundraising totalling $75,000, and $230,000 provided by the RDNO through the White Valley Parks, Recreation and Culture service, the RDNO said.

The $3-million project is focused on adding four new change rooms and renovating the existing change rooms, but will also include upgrades to make the facility more operationally effective, safe, and energy-efficient, the RDNO said.