Lucas Punkari
While a few items still need to be worked out, the new arena at Couchiching is drawing ever closer to being fully operational.
“We probably have another month to go before everything is up and running officially,” construction site manager Mike Bruyere explained.
“We’re still working on things like the windows up top where the seating area is located, and the padding on the floor for the dressing room facilities,” he noted.
“However, the majority of things are set to go here.”
The biggest item of note is the ice surface itself. The concrete slab already is in place, with the ice-making process expected to get underway this week.
“Everything is going along schedule at this point for us when it comes to that,” said Brent Perreault, who is the arena manager along with Casey Adams.
“This will be the first time for me doing this here, but we are going to have the guys from Winnipeg that are bringing the zamboni here that will be helping us go through the process,” he explained.
“We hope to have everything all set up in the next couple of weeks as we already have people calling to book ice time already for summer leagues and practice times.
“So the sooner we can get the ice in, the better,” Perreault stressed.
Since construction on the outer shell of the arena was completed last summer, a lot of work has been done inside the facility over the winter months to get everything in tip-top shape.
“Quite a bit has happened in here since the summer,” Bruyere noted.
“We got all five of the dressing rooms and the referees’ room pretty much ready, with the showers and washrooms currently being finished up, and the rink surface is already to go,” he said.
“The glass, the boards, and the benches are all in, as well, and the scoreboard is already up, though we still have a couple of details to fix with that yet,” he added.
While the ice surface will be ready to go shortly, there’s still some work that will be taking place in the bleachers, which are well above the rink itself.
“There are some windows behind the seats that will be going in there, and we are also getting things ready for the main doors, along with the canteen area and things like that,” Bruyere said.
When it comes to the actual 2013/14 season, whether or not any teams will be calling the new rink home is still to be determined.
“Right now we’re just trying to see how things go in the summer here, and we will just go from there,” Perreault noted.
“For the most part, this is just a working out process for everybody involved here,” he said.
“And when it comes to the summer ice, we will see how things go with that before determining whether or not we will have ice in year-round.”
But as the arena edges ever closer toward opening for the public, those involved are excited about having a facility of its kind at Couchiching.
“It’s been a really neat feeling to be a part of this,” Perreault remarked.
“My partner, Casey, and I officially started here last week, and to see everything build up here and to be a member of the community itself has been amazing,” he enthused.
