O'LEARY, P.E.I. — There’s no fooling about it: April 1 will always be an important date in Hockeyville, P.E.I.
On April 1, 2017, the Town of O’Leary learned it had won the national title as Kraft Hockeyville.
Today, more than two years later, the $100,000 prize that accompanied that title has served as the catalyst for a $1.7 million renovation project at the O’Leary Community Sports Centre.
Work is expected to commence on April 1, 2020.
Now, nearly two and a half years after the Hockeyville Cup was presented, a building committee is preparing for the start of a major renovation project at the O’Leary Community Sports Centre. Funding for what is called the Hockeyville Legacy Project totals $1,181,568 while the sports centre will kick in $518,430, including its Hockeyville winnings.
Dean Getson chairs the renovations committee. He is also a member of the so-called 'Fab Five', the core group of community volunteers who headed up O’Leary’s Hockeyville submission.
“We still get goosebumps when we hear (Egmont MP) Bobby (Morrissey) and (P.E.I. Social Development and Housing Minister) Ernie (Hudson) talk about the day of, the April 1 and the announcement,” Getson said.
Morrissey and Hudson were in O’Leary on Thursday to announce federal and provincial funding for nine projects in Prince County, including the Hockeyville Legacy project.
“Who could forget the enthusiasm and the pride that was brought on, first this community, then West Prince, then Prince County and all of P.E.I, and it became a Maritime initiative with the famous Kraft Hockeyville initiative that put O’Leary in the national spotlight. That is a community effort,” said Morrissey.
He commended the volunteers that helped make all of Thursday’s funding announcements a reality. Rinks in Alberton and Tyne Valley also received infrastructure funding.
“Take the rinks out of small-town rural Canada, rural P.E.I., where would we be?” Morrissey asked.
Hockeyville is still synonymous with O’Leary, said Getson.
"You mention O’Leary and people think Hockeyville.”
He marvels at how much pride the campaign, and ultimately winning the Hockeyville title, has meant to O’Leary and Prince Edward Island.
“My favourite comment is, someone put on Facebook, 'Is it just me, or is everyone from O’Leary, P.E.I.?’”
He noted the O’Leary Hockeyville Facebook page had 25,000 members from across P.E.I., Canada and overseas.
"Some, I think, were just from rural Canada, cheering for the little guy.”
Getson acknowledged the suggestion to the renovation committee to “think big” in its planning rather than returning to the table in three years looking for funding for another project.
He said the sports centre’s portion of the project is made up of its $100,000 Hockeyville prize, about $30,000 in spinoffs from Hockeyville activities. The Town of O’Leary contributed $15,000 and $60,000 came from a capital fund the sports centre had established. They hope to come up with the rest of the facility’s share through a capital campaign, which will be launched soon, and a corporate sponsorship campaign.
When the Hockeyville prize was awarded, the arena was looking primarily at overhauling its foyer and canteen area but the project has morphed into much more.
The lobby, canteen and washrooms are still very much a part of the project, but Getson said the ice plant room has become a key component. The ammonia chiller will be replaced with new equipment and a safer, NHL-endorsed coolant. That system and a heat recovery system should provide energy savings going forward, Getson said.
Other components of the project are the complete overhaul of the washrooms, LED lighting, new scoreboards and resurfacing of the parking lot. A persistent problem with water gathering near the main entrance will also be rectified.
Getson feels the project helps demonstrate what Hockeyville has meant, and will mean, to O’Leary.
“First and foremost, it means that our kids, and their kids, will have, hopefully, another 30 years, three decades, to go without any major upgrades to the arena."
Funding announced for nine programs
Federal and provincial officials gathered in O'Leary Thursday to announce more than $11.5M
Green Energy Stream:
- Slemon Park Corporation: $2,239,230 (federal); $2,760870 (provincial) for a water reservoir tank replacement and pump house equipment upgrades
- Slemon Park Corporation: $521,540 (federal); $643,065 (provincial) for wastewater treatment plant head works.
- Slemon Park Corporation: $283,250 (federal) $349,250 (provincial) for Aerospace Boulevard sewer line replacement.
Rural and Northern Infrastructure Stream:
- Summerside Industrial Park: $552,552 (federal) and $368,3231 (provincial) for 200-metre street with water, sewer and storm sewer mains.
- Generation XX, Summerside: $379,130 (federal) and $315,910 (provincial) for Phase II of facility upgrades.
- O’Leary Hockeyville Legacy Project: $644,521 (federal) and $537,047 (provincial) for upgrades to Community Sports Centre and parking lot.
- Tyne Valley Rink: $391,304 (federal) and $326,054 (provincial) for rehabilitating the arena’s concrete floor.
- Jacques Cartier Arena, Alberton: $353,913 (federal) and $294,898 (provincial) to revitalize and expand the building’s front section.
Public Transit Infrastructure Stream:
- Transportation West: $299,513 (federal) and $249,569 (provincial) to purchase five new larger capacity, fuel-efficient vehicles for its fleet.
Recipient organizations are contributing $1,976,589 toward the various projects.
