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'Major for the community': Frontenac region reopens its ice rink

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SOUTH FRONTENAC, ONT. -

The Frontenac Community Arena, located near Verona, just north of Kingston, has undergone a major transformation.

On Friday, it readied to reopen to the public.

For more than 40 years, the single pad arena has served the communities of Central and South Frontenac. In 2019, the decision was made to suddenly close the rink, because of aging equipment. 

Arena Manager Tim Laprade says after two years, those renovations have been completed and now the rink is ready to reopen.

"It’s major. It’s really major for the community," he explains. "I think of the little kids coming here now. They don’t remember this arena when it was new. So now it’s brand new. Everything is fresh, it’s exciting, it’s brighter."

New major upgrades include tearing up the floors, putting in a new refrigeration system, and adding in new boards and glass. 

"The typical life expectancy of an arena floor is about 20-25 years," explains Laprade. "We were lucky to get over 40 years with the old system so the new system should see us through to the next 20 or 30 years."

The $1.3 million project has been funded by all three levels of government.

The facility hosts everything from community skates to more competitive hockey games.

Central Frontenac Councillor Brent Cameron, calls the arena important to the community. 

"I learned to skate here growing up. My children learned to skate here, this arena has had an impact on families for generations," he explains. "It’s important for us to build a quality of life in this community. We care about it If we want people to pursue their dreams, we want to give them an opportunity to pursue them locally."

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