Mackenzie, B.C.- The development of an upgraded  recreation centre for Mackenzie  has strong community support  says Mackenzie Mayor Pat Crook.

“We recently had a by election  and of the top three ( of five candidates)  two  had campaigned publicly in support of the project , between the two of them  they got 70% of the vote, so I see that as validation of the project.”

Crook says there is  work being done with the curling  club  to find some way to accommodate their needs because  the existing curling rink will be decommissioned  “We’re trying to  do something,  it’s unfortunate that they ( the curling club)  are just starting to make a resurgence.   They had 45 people who  curled more than three times, and that was better than the year before.   The curling rink itself is just falling apart on a daily basis.  The ice plant hasn’t worked in two years,  it’s being piggy backed off the arena ice plant  and it ( the arena ice plant) wasn’t made for that.  We’ve had several tube failures for the coolants.”

Crook says if  the District of Mackenzie tried to bring the  curling rink back up to  specs “We’d be looking at several million dollars.” He says the District would be better off trying to find money to build a new one, after the Recreation Centre project has been completed.

The budget for the new recreation/community hall complex is about $7 million dollars.    Mackenzie has secured $5.5 million in grants and $1.5 million  from  the community forests.  “I think the project is the best for the community, and  Council is moving forward”.   But the Mayor says  the project is not without controversy  “The petition going around town  was  asking  ‘are  you in favour of a curling rink AND a community hall,  we deserve both’  so it wasn’t a   community hall  OR a  curling  rink, it was both,  so I would have signed that petition.”

He says the   issue is an emotional one for some,  “They’ve put a lot of energy into that curling club over the years  to keep it going, and I can understand that completely.  But the project is going forward.”

Phase  one of the project  saw a number of improvements made including:

• energy efficiency,
• code,
• refrigeration,
• exterior building upgrades,
• lighting upgrades to the arena and library,
• new hockey change rooms.

Phase two of the project  will  see:

• Water-saving plumbing fixtures,
• accessibility upgrades,
• additional sprinklers for fire safety,
• the construction of a new multi-purpose community hall in place of a decommissioned curling rink,
• energy conservation measures such as upgrades to the exterior insulation of the pool building,
• pool and library heating,
• ventilation,
• air conditioning upgrades, as well as
• an improved lobby-office-concession area
• a relocated and improved children’s play centre.

Construction is expect to start  in the late spring  or  early summer   and take 14 – 18 months to complete.