Steps are being taken to get the canteen up and running again at the Ste. Anne arena. 

Mayor Yvan St. Vincent says they only used vending machines for the past couple of years because they did not have anyone to lease the canteen. 

“It’s a home base for the community and it just doesn't have that feel when you don't have someone in the canteen, a familiar face cooking some homemade, home cooked food,” he says. “We're very excited to have someone who's willing to take that on, and for that reason we're certainly willing to invest in that, if we're going to have someone run it and care for it.” 

St. Vincent says council has heard there is promising interest from someone wants to lease the canteen and make sure it’s operating for key events. 

Town council has committed up to $5,000 to purchase coolers and pay for repairs to other equipment in the canteen like the deep fryer. 

“We had put aside some facility upgrades money for the arena, for rec in general, but for the arena and curling specifically,” says St. Vincent. “We haven’t decided how we're allotting that yet based on different grants we're waiting on and all those kinds of things, and it's not a huge amount of money at this point.” 

Council heard this week that the person who intends to lease the canteen is experienced and eager to have it operating this month for some of the arena fundraisers that are planned. 

Councillor Jeremy Wiens made a motion to approve expenses up to $5,000 and Lyle Davis was quick to second the motion. It was approved unanimously.