As the CUPlex fundraising committee is in a final push to raise the remaining $600,000 for the multi-purpose facility, an opportunity was presented to put to rest some of the rumours and concerns that have been discussed by the public.
Those who have had an opportunity to tour the facility have said it appears to be an elite project in the Battlefords and something this community should support and be excited about. Others may still have concerns, but the best advice is to give it a chance and take advantage of the many options that will be available once the doors open after the years of planning and fundraising to bring the idea to life.
Field House
News-Optimist: Has there been any commitments as to what sports and organizations will be using the field house?
Raise the Roof Committee: "Interest has been shown for badminton, basketball, soccer, volleyball, ball hockey and tennis. Also indoor lacrosse is something that is on the radar for the future. Whether they all move there or not would maybe depend on availability"
News-Optimist: What is the plan for the walking track on the third floor of the field house?
RtR: "It will be for walking, jogging, whatever you want. Likely the public will enter, pay admission and utilize it however you want. There is also the possibility of purchasing a pass or joint admission with the pool to allow people to use the running track. Those are both being operated by the City and will be determined in the future."
News-Optimist: Are there going to be other fitness options along with the walking track?
RtR: "They now have some room for some fitness and exercise machines along the walking track because of the way the beams come out. It will be simple enough. Not to take business away from the local gyms, but allow those who use the track more options.
News-Optimist: How is the field house going to be operated?
RtR: "The expectation of the field house is to be run similar to the Don Ross Centre where anyone can phone and request to use the facility and, depending on availability, it will all be booked and set up for them."
News-Optimist: Would the field house be available for public use during work and school hours?
RtR: "I think the City is working on programming for all the facilities, because the walking track will definitely be available and they will want it to be used as much as possible."
News-Optimist: Are there any other features that the public may not know about regarding the field house?
RtR: "There is a huge overhead door for semis to come in because it can be used for trade shows. The community is going to benefit from having a facility like this.
"Because the Saskatchewan Volleyball Association knows this facility is going to be operating for next season, we have been asked to host provincials for the 16 and under women, which until now we wouldn't have had a facility to do that. That would have 38 teams coming into the community for the weekend, so this will definitely expand what we can host in the Battlefords."
size, it is fantastic to have these types of facilities available and it will be a huge draw."
Aquatic Centre
News-Optimist: A concern that has been raised in the public is that the new swimming pool was reduced from eight to six lanes meaning the facility could not host any events. How will that affect the facility?
RtR: "For those types of tournaments or competitions they were talking about, the pool was never going to be Olympic sized, so if it were six or eight those events were never going to be held here anyways. They will still host various events, they just wouldn't be provincial meets. To do an Olympic sized pool is well beyond the scope of what the City could afford."
News-Optimist: What other benefits are there with the new facility compared to the current Kinsmen Aquatic Centre?
RtR: "It is huge. It is an overall attraction. You have the lane pool separate, the wave pool, the lazy pool, two water slides and diving boards all under one roof and so it is like a destination. They have a specific place for birthday parties where they are expecting 250 birthday parties for that room."
News-Optimist: What will happen to the current staff of the aquatic centre once the new facility is open?
RtR: "The staff from the current Kinsmen Aquatic Centre is more or less transferring over to the new CUPlex aquatic centre and they will also have to expand their staff."
News-Optimist: How would this aquatic centre compare to those in other close communities like Saskatoon and Lloydminster?
RtR: "It is far superior to the one in the Lloydminster (Bud Miller Park), way nicer, way bigger and everything is top notch. I wouldn't be surprised if you get people as far as Lloydminster coming here to use it. Five years ago it was the other way around, people from here would be going there."
Curling Centre
News-Optimist: There have been concerns raised that the new facility is not able to host the Saskatchewan Provincial Men's Playdowns, but that is something that was out of the control of those who designed the new Northland Power Curling Centre, correct?
RtR: "The Saskatchewan Curling Association determines how they want that event to be set up and they want it in a rink facility, so it doesn't matter where you are, no curling rink would qualify. But northern playdowns, senior and junior events can all be held at the new facility."
News-Optimist: Are there other options for the curling facility to be used in the off-season?
RtR: "Yes, for sure. It can be used for weddings and conventions. It is going to be cool too, the curling club is running it and they are out to make money. The sky is the limit. Knowing some of the people on the curling club they will be coming up with some good stuff, I'm sure."
News-Optimist: Because the CUPlex is located away from the residential area, will public transportation be available?
RtR: "The transit system has been revamped and it is a part of their route. The stop is already on the new transit system and once the CUPlex is open it will be used. They will be going hourly, 12 hours a day, Monday to Friday and 10 hours a day on the weekend."
News-Optimist: What are the plans for the rates and fees for the facilities?
RtR: "It will be up to the City to determine the rates, but it will be reasonable. The City wants the facility to be used."
News-Optimist: One concern in the early stages of the planning was that all the facilities are not under one roof. Do you feel that is still something people could question?
RtR: "That was one thing that people brought up quite a bit, but how often are you going to go from a performing arts theatre over to a swimming pool or vice versa. Chances are you aren't going to be doing that. Once people see how close together they are, I don't think it will be an issue. The four entrances are tied together as well with the Rotary Pump Plaza, which is very much a big part of the facility as well. The cost was astronomical and in the end it just didn't make sense."
News-Optimist: Another reason some people have been reluctant to support the CUPlex is because there isn't a hockey arena as part of the project. Do you find this as a concern at this time?
RtR: "That was one thing people were disappointed about, was that there isn't a hockey arena. Looking at the Civic Centre, it is a good arena and it isn't full all the time. I don't know if a new arena would get that many more fans out. They say they have five to 10 years left in the Civic Centre and the arena was part of the phase two plans. There is enough room out there that they could put an arena out there, but that is years away. The City can't afford to do it all at once."
News-Optimist: Do you have any final comments about the CUPlex and comments for the public?
RtR: "Until you see it, I don't think people have a clue of what is there. They are world-class facilities and something that we will all be very proud of once we get them all finished. For a city of this size, it is fantastic to have these types of facilities available and it will be a huge draw."
