At the Dec. 12 District of Mackenzie council meeting, Bruce Carscadden from Carscadden Architects Inc. provided an update to council on the second phase of the recreation centre upgrades. Mr. Carscadden outlined that the destruction and replacement of the curling facility with a community hall would exceed the proposed budget of $7.5 million by at least 25 per cent in "soft costs."
Council approved the project with little discussion to the cost and where the 25 per cent extra would come from.
In response to council's decision to demolish the curling facility, action groups have been formed to try to redirect the location of the community hall.
Curl Mackenzie and a Facebook group called Save The Mackenzie Curling Facility are strongly in favour of a new community hall but not at the loss of a viable building.
The action groups are trying to remind mayor and council that the facility is not just for curling but hosts multiple events such as grad, weddings, concerts and bouncy castle birthdays. If the curling facility is destroyed, the community would lose the ability to host those events for an estimated two years.
Reasons why the community hall should be built to the south of the current arena:
During the two-year period of demolition and construction, the community loses a gathering place as the curling rink is currently used for eight months of the year as a hall.
If the curling rink is demolished and replaced by a community hall that is of primarily glass construction, it is in the north by northwest corner of the facility. Thus in the winter it gets the least natural light and heat but in the summer it gets maximum sun volume.
This would mean that we will have to draw blinds and air condition the facility in the summer and heat more in the winter.
If the facility was built in the south by southeast area (staff parking), it will get maximum sun in the winter (the sun is lower in the hemisphere and sets at 3 p.m. in December) and in the summer the sun is at its strongest but the hall would be shaded by the rest of the complex. The new location is the most energy efficient area. It would also block the arena form the damaging spring sun which results in Mackenzie losing its ice in March.
Cost of demolition of current curling facility is estimated to be $600,000 and rising as asbestos abatement becomes more of an issue.
The asbestos is low risk as long as it remains encapsulated and can be removed as required. The savings of $600,000 from demolition could be used to upgrade the energy systems, insulate and reclad the outside and inside of the shell of the building and beautify the facade. The asbestos can be dealt with as required.
The ice in the facility is currently created and maintained by volunteers.
Paid staffing (cleaning) has been cut back to almost nothing as the bathrooms were taken offline by the recreation director.
Peter Grogan
Save the Mackenzie Curling Facility
Mackenzie
