Provincial funding secured for Warburg Arena

WARBURG -- Provincial funding was recently secured in Warburg to help pay for slab repairs and upgrades at the local arena. 

The more than $700,000 in funding was allocated to Warburg Hockey & Skating Arena Club through the province's Active Communities Initiative in late September. The organization, which operates the Warburg Arena, submitted a request for the provincial funding after an emergency arena slab failure occurred in October 2025.

"Last year we had a catastrophic leak under the slab of brine, which was coming up through the ice," said Ryan Taves with the Warburg Hockey & Skating Arena Club. "So, we obviously needed a new slab. That was basically the only fix because the pipe that got put in was put in in '83 and was known to be brittle."

Despite the slab failure, the Warburg Arena was able to stay open last winter due to constant hole drilling and flushing of the ice. Then, in the spring, work began to make the necessary repairs. This lasted all summer, as Taves notes that with the slab repaired and the ice installed, only a few more things need to be completed. 

"We're close enough that the ice is in, but when we took all the cement out, it wasn't just the slab that was bad, but the whole building," said Taves. "So, then we had to take the bleachers out and replace all that. So, now we have the slab back in, and the boards are up, but we still have to do the bleachers."

Funding for the repairs and upgrades at the Warburg Arena was also provided by Leduc County and the Village of Warburg.