Towering crane set up at the SEC construction site to receive steel trusses

Many Steinbach residents have noticed the large crane towering over the Southeast Event Centre construction site recently. 

Jeffrey Bannon is the General Manager for the Southeast Events Group. He notes the crane has been set up to receive the huge steel trusses that will make up the skeleton of the facility. 

“The trusses and the joists should be arriving in the next 5 to 10 business days. So, you're going to start to see a lot of massive trucks, I don't know how they are going to turn, that's up Russ and Paul and the city, they'll figure that out. But you're going to start to see a lot of large pieces arriving, in the next two weeks. That's why that crane is here to help move them into position and also move them to storage for when they’re needed.” 

Bannon says the trusses will most likely only go up in late January. He notes they had been expecting them to be delivered earlier. 

“I thought they'd already be on site by now, but if there's a small delay for a company or manufacturer that's making something, then we're delayed.” 

As a result, Bannon notes construction is a little bit behind on the facility, but they are still going full steam ahead and he notes they have some adjustments to their schedule to minimize downtime and to stay on track. 

The towering crane can be seen from all around the community

Before the trusses go up, Bannon says crews continue working at the ground level. 

"The restaurant kitchen floor has been poured, the grease traps are in, the electrical and plumbing is being done, entrances are being poured so that's really cool. The brick walls are going up so if you drive by on Hanover now, that's the washrooms and shower facilities for the change rooms. So for the 12 change rooms that's what you're seeing right now.” 

Bannon says he remains busy working on projects behind the scenes. For example, he notes they’ve been working on the restaurant, building the menu, and ordering plates and cutlery. 

He adds “We're starting to get a lot of interest now from outside the province. Especially a lot of winter sports saying, 'hey, you have the space' and then they're comparing us to other venues across Western Canada where they have hosted these events. It's starting to get real now because people are trying to reach out to us. This past summer I was cold calling and now the fruits of the labor are starting to come back." 

The end of the project is still a long time from now, but Bannon says the contractors “have a plan in place and we still hopefully have this shot that we can have Pistons hockey there in the fall.”