Lacombe County will be assisting the Eckville Arena Operating Association with repairs to the aging arena.
The Lacombe County Council approved the funding request at the Feb. 26 meeting of council.
The county agreed to pay for 25 per cent of the total cost for the arena’s compressor room upgrades.
According to the Eckville Arena Operating Association, the total cost of the project is expected to be $282,052.55.
Lacombe County has committed to chip in $70,513 of the total cost, roughly 25 per cent.
The funding is coming out of the County’s Policy RC(1) Capital Support of Recreation and Cultural Facilities budget.
The association has reached out to other municipalities to fund the project including the Town of Eckville, Clearwater County. The Eckville Arena Operating Association has also reached out to the Government of Alberta for help.
The association is planning to develop a funding model for the project that accurately depicts the users of the arena.
Currently, Eckville Arena Operating Association says there are 305 and member, with 225 being active participants.
The Association says of the 225 active participants, the majority is youth, at 136 members, the remaining 119 are adult members.
Roughly 29 per cent of the arena users are youth from Lacombe County. The Association says 49 per cent of the arena users are Clearwater County youth.
Only 16 per cent of all arena users are Eckville youth, while the association says only five per cent of the town’s adults utilize the arena.
Clearwater County has tabled the funding request at this time. The Council will revisit the request later in March after a joint meeting with Lacombe County later this month.
myra.nicks@eckvilleecho.com
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