The Municipality of Boissevain-Morton has decided to pursue the construction of a new indoor arena.  This, after a number of years of assessing their options to replace the 60-year-old arena built in 1960.

Mayor Judy Swanson says they’ve been busy behind the scenes researching and planning towards being able to move forward with certainty regarding the future of recreation for Boissevain - Morton, specifically regarding the community’s need for a new arena and all that that building may include.

The tentative plan for Boissevain's outdoor rink will be to relocate adjacent to the new indoor arena, or at a new location on the other side of town

“We’re excited that we’ve actually made the decision that we will be building a new arena on our main street,” explains Swanson.  The new arena will be constructed at the east end of South Railway where the current outdoor arena is located. There are a few components in the complex that are being considered as part of the indoor facility in addition to the ice rink, such as a walking track and multi-purpose room.

The announcement comes as part of a larger recreation plan that Council has been working on with HTFC Planning and Design.  Back in 2019, the municipality was awarded a grant through the “Building Sustainable Communities” program to complete a “Recreation Redevelopment Plan”.’  That Plan included thorough research and review of the existing recreation facilities, a well as consultations with local stakeholders.

The HTFC team presented 12 possible locations for the new indoor arena, with the pros and cons of each.  That was brought down to three options.  Mayor Swanson says there were a number of factors that contributed to the decision to build it at the east end of South Railway, including the plan to revitalize the downtown sector.

“We have lost two big elevators downtown and the municipality owns that land, so that’s important,” she explains. “We also need to do infrastructure in that area so we could do it at the same time as we build the arena.  So, at the end of the day there were lots of factors and lots of discussion that went into this decision.”

Boissevain-Morton Council has applied for a government grant that gleans from two levels of government funding for this project.  “But, you have to be ‘shovel-ready’ for this grant and it is one that is both federal and provincial,” explains Swanson.  “If we are the recipients of that grant then it would mean that 26 cents on the dollar is what we would be paying towards the facility.  So, it is perfect timing.”

“Planning for our community’s future is an important priority for us. The funding from the federal and provincial governments are essential to our progress,” she adds.