Yellowhead Centre takes first steps on capital plan

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Published on Thursday, March 31, 2016

By Eoin Devereux

Neepawa Banner/Neepawa Press

The major upgrades to Yellowhead Centre (YHC) have taken another step forward, as the board of directors has approved a pair of construction tenders. John’s Electric of Neepawa has received the tender for the installation of new LED lighting in the arena, while Cimco Refrigeration of Winnipeg will install a second de-humidifier for the facility, to be located at the west end of the arena.

The board will wait to select the tender for work on the ceiling until more onsite visits at other community areas across the region are made. As well, plans are in place to have the arena seating repainted in the summer. The first steps of the project are expected to cost around $100,000.

Yellowhead Centre board chair Darian Major said they are very happy to be moving forward on these improvements.

“We are very proud of our facility and we are pleased to begin this capital improvement plan. It is important to maintain the Yellowhead Centre facility for the long-term use of the community,” said Major. “There have not been many capital improvements over the past decade, so we really wanted to get started on some updates as soon as possible.”

Major noted that the Yellowhead Arena is considered one of the darker arenas in the region, so the new lighting should improve the overall experience for both the facility users and fans who are viewing the multitude of events which take place throughout the year. He added that the LED lights that will be installed are over 80 per cent more energy efficient than the current lighting system.  

As for the addition of the dehumidifier, Major said that the Yellowhead Arena has one on the east side of the arena, but needs a second dehumidifier on the west end to help improve ice quality at that side of the facility.  

Major concluded by stating that the upgrades will begin shortly.

“The LED lighting is going ahead right away. We’d like to get that completed as quickly as possible. As for the dehumidifier, it will be in place before the start of the hockey and ice skating seasons. So, really that means that these portions of the improvements should be done by the end of August,” said Major.

In January, the YHC board passed a motion to implement a revised capital plan, which included spending from part of a pre-approved line of credit made available from the Beautiful Plains Credit Union. The Yellowhead Centre is also receiving a grant from Community Places and will apply to the Beautiful Plains Community Foundation (BPCF), the Youth Advisory Committee of BPCF and Manitoba Hydro to assist in this stage of the project.  The improvements planned for the summer are part of the larger capital plan which also includes:

• Upgrades to the arena heating system.

• Re-arranging the ticket booth area to provide a more efficient traffic flow to the main entrance.

• Expand the area currently used by the Neepawa Natives for merchandise to be a manager’s office and marketing area.

• Re-arranging of the Yellowhead Centre hall so that the stage is at the east end with a “backstage” area that will screen the washroom/kitchen area from view and also provide an area for stage productions and a smaller rentable meeting/dining room.

• Strip the second floor dressing rooms to remove deteriorated walls and plumbing to allow for construction of a meeting room and storage area.

• Install new dressing rooms on the south side of the arena.