The deadline for tender submissions for construction services on the Pat Duke Arena Upgrades closed on March 5, 2020. RDNO staff thoroughly reviewed all submissions received for cost and conformance of all of the bid requirements.
“We are pleased to announce that we have awarded the project to Cormac Projects Inc. based out of Calgary, Alberta,” says Tannis Nelson, Manager of Community Services, RDNO. “We received lots of interest from qualified contractors in the construction community, and thank everyone for their interest in the project. We look forward to working with Cormac and getting this highly anticipated project underway”.
Work includes reinforcement of the existing arena arched structure, as well as a full suite of four newly constructed change rooms, a north warming and viewing area, entryway and modest improvements to existing change rooms.
On-site activity is expected to begin as early as mid-April. Work will follow all Provincial recommendations and WorkSafeBC protocol for safe COVID-19 construction operations. Construction is classified as an essential service by the Government of British Columbia.
Background
The Pat Duke Memorial Arena provides ice time for a variety of users, including minor hockey, figure skating, ringette and leisure ice uses, and has been serving the community since 1967.
Unfortunately, due to its age, the needs of all of the facility users are not being met. Due to an insufficient number of change rooms, female ice users have had to use inadequate facilities during co-ed play. The arena also poses challenges for users with mobility issues and does not meet today’s standards for accessibility.
As part of a community effort that began in 2016, residents and users came together and initiated fundraising to improve amenities in the arena. As a result of these efforts, Lumby won Kraft Hockeyville 2016, receiving $100,000 to put towards improving the facility.
Leveraging the community momentum that was generated through the successful Kraft Hockeyville win, in March 2018 the Village of Lumby and the Regional District of North Okanagan (RDNO) were awarded an additional $2,595,625 to make improvements to the Pat Duke Arena in Lumby, B.C. Additional funding for the project included a grant from TELUS, and community fundraising totalling $75,000, and $230,000 provided by the RDNO through the White Valley Parks, Recreation and Culture service
The $3,000,000 project is focused on adding four new change rooms and renovating the existing change rooms, and will also include upgrades to make the facility more operationally effective, safe, and energy-efficient.
The funding for this project has enabled a significant renovation and expansion to this cherished community arena, allowing it to continue to serve the North Okanagan well into the future.