On September 16, the Friends of the Plex, a committee of volunteers organized earlier this year to work alongside the Town of Niverville toward the development of new sports and recreation facilities, unveiled detailed plans for a year round indoor sports multi-plex and new arena. The announcement took place at Hespeler Park and coincided with the sod-turning for Niverville’s new splash pad.
On hand for the sod-turning was Morris MLA Shannon Martin, Provencher MP Ted Falk, Mayor Myron Dyck, and Friends of the Plex spokespersons Kerry Church and Clarence Braun.
These multiplex and new arena facilities are to be constructed alongside the existing Niverville Centennial Arena.
The 33,000-square-foot arena sits at the center of the proposed plan, with an ice surface measuring 85 by 200 feet and accompanying dressing rooms equipped with washrooms and showers.
The adjacent multiplex will contain 36,000 square feet of floor space and feature a running track as well as space that can be easily converted into a 15,000-square-foot indoor soccer field, two basketball courts, four volleyball
courts, and six badminton courts. Netting and curtains can be erected between sports activities. In addition to warm-up and training areas, the multiplex plan also calls for six dressing rooms.
A mezzanine level will provide casual seating for 250 spectators on the multiplex side, and 600 spectators on the arena side. The common area fronting the property will include an extensive multi-level children’s playground feature.
“The side-by-side plan is the more cost-effective solution,” says Kerry Church, spokesperson for Friends of the Plex. He says a number of other potential site plans were considered. “This ties well into construction phasing.”
The focal point of the building’s exterior is undoubtedly the re-creation of Niverville’s original grain elevator, which serves as the main entrance. This heritage feature harkens back to 1879, when William Hespeler put Niverville on the map by constructing Western Canada’s very first grain elevator. The round structure was a one of a kind.
“We have a very creative committee,” says Church. “We thought, ‘What are the things we can do to generate a broad range of support? What is the symbol that is Niverville?’ The grain elevator, historically, is something that is part of our roots.”
The site plan calls for an expansion of the parking lot as well as a new access road. Property to the north has been set aside for future recreation needs, including an outdoor rink. The current dog park onsite will also be preserved.
In addition, the site plan earmarks the vacant land to the west of the multiplex for a proposed performing arts
facility, the details of which will only be fleshed out upon completion of the first two phases of the project.
The existing arena will remain operational throughout the construction process, with a link provided between it and the new common area. This link will allow for the continued use of existing office and meeting areas, maintenance areas, and dressing rooms.
In short, these new facilities are spacious, flexible, and ambitious. And of course, they won’t come cheap.
The price tag for the multiplex and new arena is a cool $16 million, excluding future plans to refurbish the old arena. According to Kerry Church, no shovel will hit the ground until all the money is banked for whatever phase is scheduled to begin first. So far, only preliminary discussions have been held.
The Town of Niverville has pledged the first $5 million, seed money to get the ball rolling on fundraising efforts.
“The Town is pleased to be donating toward such a terrific project that truly meets the needs of our community,” says Mayor Myron Dyck. “The donation will be drawn from the existing Recreation Infrastructure Reserve Fund, which Council has been building for a few years, and from new monies that will need to be borrowed to top up the difference.”
Town Council will bring forward a borrowing motion to cover this difference in the near future. Residents will be given the opportunity to take part, since this is inteded to be a public consultation process. No new taxes are planned.
Friends of the Plex are now beginning their fundraising efforts in earnest, reaching out to members of the community and other levels of government to turn this master plan into reality. Accounting for the town’s contribution, $11 million needs to be raised before construction can begin.
The Friends of the Plex committee started meeting in February, consulting with focus groups comprised of people involved in local sports and recreation. The committee also visited a large number of similar facilities throughout Western Canada, including as far as Alberta, to get a sense of what has worked in other communities.
“There are lots of good new facilities in towns of our size,” says Church. “Beausejour is a great example.”
Another good example, according to Church, is the new Seven Oaks Arena in Winnipeg, which opened this past spring. Although serving a larger population, it provided a lot of inspiration for Friends of the Plex.
“We’re going to have to be aggressive with fundraising,” Church adds. While he admits it’s not likely construction will be underway by the spring, it is important to move as quickly as possible in order for the
project to maintain strong momentum.
