Only indoor rink in Cape Breton’s Victoria County in danger of closing
The Victoria Highlands Civic Centre in Baddeck, N.S. is the only indoor arena for miles. It's nearly 50 years old and it's seen better days.
"We were shocked at the level of what's required for the building," said John Trickett, president of the arena’s board of directors.
Trickett says when an engineer was brought in to look at fixing the roof and adding more dressing room space for female players, a whole host of other problems was discovered.
Along with pieces of the wall behind one of the nets falling apart due to severe rusting, there are also rusting problems near the roof, which is causing mold and other weather damage.
"Essentially, it's like a rusted out car in some of the main areas," Trickett said. “And over years, that's allowed rain and water to get in and create rusting effects internally and other components. And mildew.”
The arena is home to more than 100 kids who play in the Baddeck and Area Minor Hockey Association.
Its catchment area ranges from North of Smokey to Iona - a distance of nearly 200 kilometres.
Victoria County Warden Bruce Morrison says replacement probably isn't feasible right now, so they're in the early days of looking at potential repairs.
"A brand new rink would be lovely," Morrison said. "But I think whatever improvements are going to be made will be based on whatever funding will be made available by, particularly, the provincial and federal governments."
Trickett says the hope is to avoid having to close the rink for the 2022-23 season, but he admits repairs won't come cheap.
"For this year, we're safe. But next year, it's in jeopardy," Trickett said.
"To get it roof-tight and weather-tight, we're looking at somewhere around $2.3 to $2.2 million dollars. But that doesn't address the other concerns inside with the mold issues, the wet insulation."
The arena is also home to the closing banquet for the annual Cabot Trail Relay Race and its more than a thousand runners. It also hosts many other events.
"It would be a big loss to the community," Trickett said.
Trickett and Morrison say the rink’s future will be further discussed with Victoria County council in October.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.