Pownal rink to get $344K upgrade ahead of 2023 Canada Games

An upgrade of $344,000 was announced for the Pownal Sports Centre Monday morning.

The investment by the federal and provincial governments comes ahead of P.E.I. hosting the 2023 Canada Games. The upgrades include two new dressing rooms, a referee room and expanding the foyer washrooms to make them fully accessible. 

"It does take community people to drive this," said Premier Dennis King, who was on hand for the announcement, along with Transportation Minister Steven Myers, Cardigan MP Lawrence MacAulay and Pownal Sports Centre president Randy Drake.

"We're happy to make the investment from a community perspective, and also right now at a time when you need to make some infrastructure investments and some economic stimulus, I think it's a win/win/win."

The province is contributing $144,000, while the federal government is giving $120,000. The Pownal Sports Centre is contributing about $80,000. 

3rd rink announcement in two weeks

This is the third rink funding announcement in recent weeks, preceded by North Rustico, which is getting a new $10 million rink and Tyne Valley, which will be getting a $10.3 million replacement for the rink lost to a fire in December. 

"I think they're [rinks] really part of the identity of Prince Edward Island, our communities big and small … it does bring communities together," King said.

"I started my rather unprolific hockey career here … and now I have my kids who come here and play. I have been in arenas all across the Maritimes for sure, and this is as good as any. It's very well run. It's always full and always busy."

The rink serves an area that covers from Stratford to Fort Augustus to Orwell and has over 900 kids registered in its hockey program.

Drake, Pownal Sports Centre president, said the rink is always very busy.

"If it wasn't for COVID, we shut down in the middle of March, the ice would have been here on both rinks until the end of May and it was booked solid" said Drake. 

"After 17 years, things need a new look."

The project will also include new electric heaters, as well as replacing rink dasher boards, kick plates and flooring in the lobby.

"With the heat in the stadium and in the arena, it will make quite a difference for people watching games," Drake said.

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