Jean-Guy Tetrault installs arena boards

The arena expansion in La Broquerie is pretty much paid for thanks to a $10,000 grant from Farm Credit Canada.  Fundraising Coordinator Louis Cote says the money will be used to help finish the project.  "That goes along with a lot of other money.  We got $10,000 from Caisse Populaire, $30,000 from Community Places and $12,000 from another provincial organization.  The total cost of the project is more than $150,000.  We have had tremendous support from local construction companies when it came to donating labour and materials."

He notes the project is basically done.  "We are just waiting for some electrical work to get finished and a final inspection.  We have a grand opening we're trying to organize for the last weakened in January.  Once baseball season gets closer we are going to be putting up a batting cage inside.  We could probably raise some more money for the batting cages but basically our project is done, bought and paid for."

Cote says a lot of work has been done this past year.  "Originally it was just a dirt floor in there so landscaping had to be done first to level it out and then we poured concrete for the whole building.  The building is also going to be used for other events and sports and with a concrete floor it's ideal for that.  We purchased and installed the boards with volunteer labour.  I would have to say about 150 different people came out and I can't imagine how many hours are put in with that.  We also did plywood on the walls where we are going to put up our sponsor's logos."

He adds they decided to go with natural ice.  "It's a little smaller ice surface.  It's 140' x 65' whereas your regular rinks are close to 200' x 75'.  That's all we had to work with at the time because we have a cow show once a year that we have to keep some room for.  So it's a perfect compliment for public skating, initiation level hockey or even commercial hockey playing 3 on 3 or 4 on 4.  The cost of putting artificial ice in there wouldn't have worked out in the long run."

He says temperatures need to drop to get it ready.  "We have a little bit of ice on the bottom but the weather hasn't been great for trying to flood inside.  Hopefully we will be skating in about a week."