The Civic Auditorium is celebrating its 60th birthday this year.
It might be the last significant milestone for the old barn.
To call it antiquated, an eyesore or even a dump would be justifiable. But it also has a lot of history, it has been the site of some great hockey games and it has served the city well.
The City of Estevan has allocated $250,000 in this year’s budget to address current issues, such as the heating, which has long been a source of frustration for arena users during the winter months.
You can question pouring money into a building whose days are numbered, but the heating issue is critical. On those frigid January and February days, it seemed like it has been almost as cold inside the building as it was outside, which isn’t a good situation for players, coaches, officials or spectators.
But there has to be a limit on the money spent on the Civic. There are only so many repairs you can make for a 60-year-old, well-used hockey arena. One day, the building will have to be torn down.
There was to be a study of the building this year to determine the approximate number of years it has remaining. That study was shelved in favour of heating repairs.
The structural review should be viewed as a must for next year or in 2019.
Before the Civic is torn down, the city will be tasked with another dilemma. Should they build an arena to replace the Civic, giving Estevan three arenas? Or should they move forward with just two arenas?
Do we need to continue to have three arenas? We had two arenas for the first half of the 2016-17 hockey season, when the Power Dodge Ice Centre was closed so that its ice plant could maintain the ice at Affinity Place. Many users groups were frustrated with the situation, since they had enjoyed the luxury of having three ice sheets for the previous five seasons.
We’ve seen the benefits of having three arenas. There are more teams entered in tournaments. And there is more flexibility with ice schedules.
At the same time, will people be eager to see taxpayer dollars spent on constructing a third arena in Estevan?
Obviously we’re not looking at getting another arena the caliber of Affinity Place, but a replacement for the Civic would have to be a nice arena that can accommodate a few hundred spectators.
If Estevan is to have two arenas once the Civic is torn down, then significant upgrades will be needed for the Power Dodge Ice Centre, which is a good third venue, but inadequate as a No. 2 arena.
This is not a decision that needs to be made immediately. But it is looming. And it’s one that’s going to have a price, and an impact on many people.
