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
'Still so much love between us,' Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
What to know about avian influenza in dairy cows and the risk to humans
Why is H5N1, or bird flu, a concern, how does it spread, and is there a vaccine? Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about avian influenza.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
opinion The special relationship between King Charles and the Princess of Wales
Royal commentator Afua Hagan writes that when King Charles recently admitted Catherine to the Order of the Companions of Honour, it not only made history, but it reinforced the strong bond between the King and his beloved daughter-in-law.
Pro-plastic lobbyist presence at UN talks is 'troubling,' say advocates
Environmentalist groups are sounding the alarm about a steep increase in the number of pro-plastic lobbyists at the UN pollution talks taking place this week.
'Too young to have breast cancer': Rates among young Canadian women rising
Breast cancer rates are rising in Canada among women in their 20s, 30s and 40s, according to research by the University of Ottawa (uOttawa).
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
$70M Lotto Max winners kept prize a secret from family for 2 months
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Courteney Cox says her partner Johnny McDaid once broke up with her in therapy
Courteney Cox's longtime partner Johnny McDaid once broke up with her in a therapy session.