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City of Yorkton hoping for grant dollars for arena upgrades

Work planned for both arenas
Calvin Daniels
Calvin Daniels
kinsmen arena
Work at the Kinsmen Arena was included in the recent capital budget in Yorkton. (File Photo)Calvin Daniels / Yorkton This Week

YORKTON - The City of Yorkton is hoping for some grant dollars to help offset planned work at the Gallagher Centre and the Kinsmen Arena. 

At the Feb. 14, 2022 Council meeting, Council approved the 2022 and 2023 Capital budgets, which included the Arena Improvements Project, a total value of $3,860,000; $1,085,000 for the Gallagher Centre and $2,775,000 for the Kinsmen Arena, explained Lisa Washington - Manager of Community, Culture & Heritage with the City at the regular meeting of Yorkton Council Monday. 

“More specifically the projects will see the replacement of the ice plant, and related code improvements at the Gallagher Centre, which supports both the Westland Arena and the Curling Rink. The Kinsmen Arena will receive a new concrete slab with header trench and related piping; new arena boards and glass and improvements related to dehumidification, as well as code related improvements,” she said. 

Following unanimous support from Council the dual projects will be the basis on a city application for Investing in Infrastructure Program (ICIP) dollars, said Washington. 

Through ICIP …the program will provide more that $900 million in federal funding for all type of Saskatchewan infrastructure projects over 10 years until 2028, she explained. 

“These projects will be cost-shared by the federal and provincial governments, municipalities and other eligible recipients,” said Washington. 

ICIP funding is divided into four streams, each with their own allocations, eligible projects and defined outcomes. The streams are:

* Public Transit Infrastructure - $308 million

* Green Infrastructure - $420 million

* Community, Culture and Recreation - $56 million

* Rural and Northern Communities Infrastructure - $116 million 

The application for the arena work is being submitted under the Community, Culture and Recreation stream. 

“The levels of federal and provincial contribution, for municipal projects are: federal contribution at least 40 per cent and provincial contribution up to 33.33 per cent. Only projects with eligible costs between a minimum of $100,000 and a maximum of $10 million will be considered during this intake process,” said Washington. 

“If we are successful in receiving this grant, the overall cost of these projects to the City would be reduced and could be re-allocated by Council to other recreation projects,” she said.