'This is the hub': Renovations to Morell rink underway

With the hockey season now over, local ice maker Ronnie Drake has turned his attention to removing glass and boards at the Morell Community Centreas the rink undergoes a facelift.

Phase one of the project included a new steel roof, a community room and a new cooling system.

The second phase, now underway, will involve replacing the dasher boards andglass, along with upgrades to the dressing rooms, washrooms, the front entrance and canteen.

"This is the hub," said Danny Kelly, chair of the Northside Community Initiative. "Outside the churches, the schools, all those other things that go along in our facility, this is the hub of the community during the wintertime. I mean, this is where you see your friends and neighbours."

Community effort

Kelley said the first phase cost $1.1 million, and the budget for phase two is $750,000.

The first phase of the project was paid for with money from the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA), the community of Morell, as well as several fundraisers, including the Morell Sportsmen Dinner and Chase the Ace.

He said they "still have money in the bank" for phase two, but the community needs to raise about half of the necessary money to finish renovations. More fundraisers are being planned over the next few months.

"We cut costs by having volunteers come in and help us out and it does reduce the amount that we have to spend on those construction pieces, but at the end of the day, it still does cost a lot of money," he said.

He's confident that fundraising will be successful, and if it falls short, some of the renovations would be put off until the money is there.

"We won't do anything we don't have the funds for," he said.

Plans to open in the fall

The newly renovated rink is scheduled to open Thanksgiving weekend.

"It revitalizes the community. You put something this big of a ticket item back into a community, it's a big deal," he said.

"When you walk in, it will be bam you'll see the painting that's been done, the reconstruction that will be done, the new boards that are done and it will be a very comfortable space. It will be somewhat of a more modern facility."

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