By Times Chronicle Staff
The Oliver & District Arena has officially reopened for regular operations after seven and a half months of construction.
The $3.8 million Arena Rehabilitation Project that started back in 2019 was deemed “substantially completed” on Friday, Nov. 8 with the facility officially re-opened for regular operations as of Saturday Nov. 9.
Oliver and District Recreation photo
The Friday morning “Oldtimers” and SD53 Hockey Skills Academy helped break in the fresh ice on Friday. The staff at Oliver and District Recreation said it looks forward to welcoming South Okanagan Minor Hockey, South Okanagan FSC, Wolf Creek Chargers, Oliver Lions Club and the Oliver, Area “C” and Osoyoos Indian Band community back to the arena in the days to come.
Oliver and District Recreation photo
The rehabilitation project was made possible though the federal Canada Investing in Recreation Infrastructure Program grant which saw the replacement of the refrigerated slab and dasherboards, accessibility improvements including new universal washrooms and viewing areas, renovations to the kitchen, referee’s room, dressing rooms and lobby and a heat recovery system that will significantly reduce the greenhouse gas emissions produced by operations.
The pouring of the concrete slab for the latest generation refrigerated flooring system was poured in early Oct.
Oliver and District Recreation photo
The Oliver and District Recreation thanked the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen and Town of Oliver for support over the years.
“Our gratitude goes to the project consulting team led by Carscadden Stokes McDonald Architects for their unwavering guidance and for engineering our vision into reality, and to Wildstone Construction Group for the incredible step-by-step transformation of this cherished community facility.”
Oliver and District Recreation photo
For more information on public programming that begins Wednesday, Nov. 13, see the schedule at oliver.ca/recreation/arena.
Oliver and District Recreation photo
