Basketball in the summer, hockey in the winter, 'a good thing for everybody'

The City of Summerside, P.E.I., has set aside $30,000 for a new multi-use outdoor sport space.

Coun. Gordie Whitlock said he's had several people asking for a space like this to be built, so he took it to council.

The spending was approved at a special council meeting Monday.

A new asphalt pad will be put down near the tennis and basketball courts in Schurman Park. Old boards from the Eastlink arena at Credit Union Place will be installed and LED lights will be moved so the space can be used at night.

"The neat thing about it, I think, is it's going to be well used, I'm sure, in the winter time for hockey and skating, but in the summer time, spring and fall you can use it for ball hockey, basketball, any number of things," said Whitlock.

"For a relatively small sum of money I think it's a great investment for the city. I'm a firm believer any time you can get people more active it's a good thing for everybody."

Ice will be easier to maintain on asphalt than on the rinks on grass that the city also builds in winter, said Whitlock.

Weather permitting, the new rink and the others should be ready to go by the end of December.

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