Glace Bay arena to reopen in October following COVID-19 delays

The Glace Bay Miners forum will reopen on Oct. 1, following$9 millionin upgrades and expansions.

The opening of the arena, formerly known as the Bayplex, was slated for July 1 but issues related to COVID-19 have delayed the work.

Cecil Clarke, mayor of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality,said some of the delays were caused by travel restrictions for personnel working on the building, but he said things are moving along.

"It did delay the boards going in, but the boards are now installed so they worked through that timeline," said Clarke.

"I've checked with our director of buildings who has assured us that we are still within our budget framework even though some of the timelines have been extended out due to the impacts of COVID-19."

The facility closed abruptly in 2017, after numerous problems were discovered, including mould.

The Cape Breton Regional Municipality took over administration of the arena from a non-profit community group.

Clarke said changes at the facility include a much larger ice surface, improved accessibility and an expanded walking track.

"It's just a great facility for the next generation of users," Clarke said.

Nick Bonar, a minor hockey coach, is anxious to get back inside the building.

"I think it's pretty exciting to have our building back and have our kids back to our focal point of our community," said Bonar."It's unbelievable, I can't even describe how I feel.It's going to be an awesome day in Glace Bay."

The name of the facility was changed by a motion of Cape Breton regional council to reflect the rich history of coal mining in the community and to honour the memory of the original Miners Forum,built in 1939. It was torn down in 1995 to make way for the Bayplex.

Bonar said the new name is a fitting tribute.

"Without the miners, we wouldn't have a rink to rebuild," he said.

Clarke said the ice plant should be in place by August 28, andthe contractor will take the month of September to prepare the complex for its official opening .

The $9 million cost was shared equally by all three levels of government.