Major repairs planned at Warburg Arena

LEDUC COUNTY -- Leduc County has agreed to enter into a new funding agreement with the Village of Warburg.

The agreement will see the County contribute up to $950,000 to support the Warburg Arena's ice-floor replacement. Based on quotes, the total project cost will be $1,205,400, of which the Leduc County portion would be $891,996.

The repairs are said to be necessary after Warburg staff identified issues within the ice surface floor at the start of the arena's ice season. It's reported that certain areas of the floor have shown leaks that were causing areas to not freeze correctly. The arena ice floor is original to the building, which was constructed in 1978, and has now reached the end of its useful life.

Dean Ohnysty -- Leduc County's Director of Community Services -- says that repairs to the ice-floor are currently planned to get underway in the spring, following the end of the Warburg Arena's ice season.

"Complete the project throughout the summer, and be up-and-operational by the fall," said Ohnysty. "This would have limited impact on our community and the residents who access this facility."

Throughout the fall, other options were reviewed and considered, including temporary repairs. County staff is recommending to proceed with a full-floor replacement because they believe that a temporary fix is not guaranteed to completely resolve the issue.

Leduc County Mayor Tanni Doblanko says she also wants to see a meeting scheduled with MLA Andrew Boitchenko to discuss the matter, as it's believed that some provincial funding could be acquired to help with the cost of the replacement.

"We know how important the Warburg Arena is," said Doblanko. "For not only our County, but also Brazeau County; and I'd really look forward to sitting down and having that opportunity to meet with MLA Boitchenko to do a share." 

Funding for Leduc County's contribution to the ice-floor replacement will come from its Statutory Municipal Reserve or 2026 internal savings.