End of an era as Sault arena being torn down
Once viewed as the Sault’s premier ice sheet for minor hockey and figure skating, the W.J. McMeeken Arena is being torn down.
The McMeeken, opened in 1967, had come to the end of its lifespan. It will now serve the parking needs of the new arena on the same property, a $32 million twin pad arena announced earlier this month.
“We’re looking at adding about another 240 spaces," said Brent Lamming, the city's community services director.
"That will bring us to 328 spaces. Of that, we’ll have another 16 accessible spaces to bring us to 20 there. It’ll really mimic the John Rhodes in terms of parking, so there will be ample parking.”
The demolition and cleanup of the McMeeken will take roughly three weeks at a cost of more than $1 million.
After that, the focus turns to the construction of those additional parking spaces.
The job is expected to be complete by summer.
Users of the new facility and neighbouring Northern Community Centre were delighted to hear the news.
“The complex has grown, but the parking facility hasn’t, and it never really was big enough,” one person said.
Another regular said the new parking lot can't come soon enough.
“It’s needed right now. I was here Monday evening and I had to go park over at Korah, so it is needed.”
It's not the only work that will be done on the site this spring: the twin pad arena had some issues upon opening.
Leaks sprung up in the main rink that forced the cancellation of one rental and a public skating session.
Lamming said officials believed the problem is related to a seam on the roof.
“We are addressing that with EllisDon,” he said.
“They are monitoring the situation, and once the snow is removed from the spring melt, they will be putting in major repairs to the area, which is covered under the warranty.”
The leak is not currently causing issues in the rink. City officials expect it to be taken care of by summer.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.