'Major for the community': Frontenac region reopens its ice rink
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."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.