Yellowhead Centre upgrades see the light
- Details
- Published on Thursday, June 23, 2016
By Eoin Devereux
The Neepawa Banner/Neepawa Press
The first stage of a major renovation at the Yellowhead Centre (YHC) in Neepawa is nearly complete. The improvements, including the installation of new LED lighting in the arena and the concourse, as well as the addition of a new de-humidifier, have wrapped up. The only remaining portion of work needed to be done at this time is the repainting of the seats around the arena, which is expected to begin in July.
The total cost of the upgrades was estimated at around $100,000, which was financed through the Yellowhead Centre’s reserve fund, along with grant support from several local organizations.Yellowhead Centre committee president Darian Major said that the board was very pleased with how the work progressed. He said it went ahead on schedule and, for the most part, without issue.
“The installation of the new lights went off without any issues,” said Major. “The only challenge that arose was with the Low-E ceiling and our natural gas heaters in the arena. To code, the heaters have to be 24 inches from the ceiling and with the addition of the Low-E ceiling, they are now only 18 inches. To maintain our standards of safety and keeping to code, quotes have been received to drop all the heaters six inches and also to replace the five old heaters, to update them to match the ones that have been replaced over the last few years. At the time they are dropped, they will be tilted more towards the stands and away from the ice surface, making for better ice and more comfort for our fans.”
YHC director of operations Ann Kuharski said over the next few weeks, more people will see the improvements for themselves. She is confident that they will be pleased with what they see.
“We are very happy with the way that everything has turned out,” Kuharski said. “This time of year, we’re not as busy, so only a few people have seen the upgrades. I’m optimistic though, that everyone will be very impressed with the changes once they see them for themselves. These things that we have done this year are all major visual improvements. You can clearly see what’s being done and I think people will better be able to appreciate that ongoing effort to make sure this is a facility the community can continue to be proud of.”
In January, the YHC board passed a motion to upgrade the arena and the hall in a tiered renovation effort. With stage one drawing to a close, other work the Yellowhead Centre would like to explore include:
• Re-arranging the ticket booth area at 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.
There is no set schedule for these changes to be made at this time. Neepawa’s Yellowhead Centre is a non-profit community owned recreation facility that was first developed in 1971.
