Yet another recreation facility in Nelson requires major renovations.
The City of Nelson announced in a press release that the Civic Arena, which is part of the Civic Centre, needs repairs to its roof to ensure it meets existing snow-load requirements.
The likely closures this winter will impact users such as Nelson Minor Hockey Association, which rents the arena's ice. The arena was abruptly closed in September after the city determined a wall shared by the arena and centre required seismic upgrades. That has delayed ice usage until mid-December.
The city said it completed a structural assessment of the Civic Arena in the summer but did not commit to when those repairs would begin or say how much they would cost. But in a statement, Mayor Janice Morrison said "millions of dollars of investment" would be required.
“Before making any decisions on further investments in these aging facilities, we would like to hear residents’ hopes for recreation opportunities in our community.”
The 88-year-old Civic Centre has been empty since May as its roof structure is renovated and energy upgrades are installed. The work meant the temporary eviction of tenants including Glacier Gymnastics and the Civic Theatre, which is also waiting to begin work on an expansion that will add two new screens.
The adjoined indoor soccer facility, which is used by Nelson Soccer Association and was built at the same time as the Civic Centre, will also require a structural review in 2025.
The Nelson Curling Rink meanwhile has also been shut down, likely for good, due to a structural assessment that found significant issues with the roof, walls and foundation.
In the meantime, the city and Regional District of Central Kootenay will host three public engagement sessions meant to determine the community's recreation needs. RDCK and city staff will be on hand to answer questions about the facilities, while a survey will be made available to the public on Nov. 27. The consultation process will run until February.
Joe Chirico, the RDCK's general manager of community services, said in a statement that the sessions are overdue.
“We haven’t engaged with residents since 2012 during our Master Plan engagement process and understand the community’s priorities may have changed since that time. Our collective goal for this engagement process is to educate the public on the current state of all facilities and amenities at the community recreation campus and develop a vision for future recreation at the campus.”
Meetings will be held 6-7:30 p.m. on Nov. 5 at Taghum Hall, Nov. 6 at the Prestige Lakeside Resort, and Nov. 7 at École des Sentiers-Alpins.
