RDNO Media Release
The renovations and expansion of the Pat Duke Memorial Arena are now complete. The project, which was made possible through a 2016 Kraft Hockeyville win, a TELUS community grant and a $2.56 million contribution from the federal Gas Tax Fund, will be celebrated virtually by North Okanagan communities.
“It’s really great to see that the federal Gas Tax Fund has helped make it easier for girls and women to nurture their hockey talents in the Regional District of North Okanagan,” said the Honourable Catherine McKenna, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities. “These renovations to the Pat Duke Memorial Arena show how important investing in recreational infrastructure is to creating dynamic inclusive communities where everyone has the opportunity to participate in the sports they love. Canada’s infrastructure plan invests in thousands of projects, creates jobs across the country, and builds cleaner, more inclusive communities.”
“Our government is proud to invest in community-led projects that promote a healthy lifestyle and bring people together. Although the way we use ice rinks and arenas is different this year, buildings like Pat Duke will continue to be the heart of their communities and a place where in years ahead kids will meet lifelong friends, adults will stay active, and spectators will cheer on their local athletes. I know this facility will help foster community connections for years to come, and I’m so pleased to see the renovations it,” said Josie Osborne, Minister of Municipal Affairs.
“This project was a long time coming for female hockey athletes in the community,” said Rick Fairbairn, Chair of the White Valley Parks, Recreation and Culture Advisory Committee. “The Pat Duke Memorial Arena is such a tremendous community asset. I am so pleased that this project will not only provide a better experience for its users but also help ensure that it continues to serve our local athletes of the future.”
The virtual celebration of the arena renovation and expansion project will take place at 5:30 pm on Thursday, December 17, 2020, with the release of a video that will provide a tour of the new construction and congratulatory messages from notable community members and hockey VIP.
“While it is not the celebration we may have imagined, it’s so great that we can have a shared moment together, even virtually, to mark this achievement and look forward to piling into the old barn (arena) together again in the future,” says Kevin Acton, Village of Lumby Mayor and Chair of the RDNO Board of Directors.
The video will be launched on the RDNO website, and people are invited to watch it together as it is streamed for the enjoyment of a “barn load” of excited people on the Lumby Kraft Hockeyville Facebook page. There is also a 3D virtual tour available on the RDNO’s website.
The project added a full suite of four newly constructed change rooms, a new players’ entrance and viewing area, newly renovated referee change rooms and complete renovations of two of the existing change rooms.
The construction took roughly seven months, with Cormac Construction Ltd. beginning onsite activity in mid-April and completing the project in time for the building to be used by minor hockey on the weekend of November 21, 2020. The total project budget was $3.5 million, and the final project cost is well within budget. The federal Gas Tax Fund is administered in British Columbia by the Union of B.C. Municipalities.
In light of COVID-19 restrictions prohibiting spectators in the 2020/2021 season, the bleachers will be reinstalled in time for the 2021/2022 season.
Previous Media Releases
April 7, 2020 - Pat Duke Arena Change Room Renovation and Expansion Project Award
March 6, 2020 - Pat Duke Arena Change Room Renovation and Expansion Project - RDNO now Reviewing Tender Results
December 20, 2019 - Pat Duke Arena Change Room Renovation and Expansion Project Update