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Fate of Memorial Arena remains in the balance




As a result of safety concerns and aging infrastructure, Goderich Town Council recently made the decision to close the doors of Memorial Arena until further notice.

With the quick decision to close the arena to public use, several user groups found themselves searching for a space elsewhere to run their events.

Members of the public were invited to the January 6 Memorial Arena Task Force meeting to discuss next steps.

“It’s going to be a process, it’s not going to happen overnight, but we want to make sure the building is safe for use, and is accessible for all,” explained Mayor Trevor Bazinet at the January 6 meeting.

As to why the arena had to be closed, those details or sensitive information were discussed at a recent closed meeting. Those details remain confidential, under the Municipal Act.

“We have concrete evidence it needs to be closed,” added Bazinet.

“We received information from staff, and they made us aware of some issues. If something was to happen to a user group in that facility, and for Council to know what they know, it would not be a good thing. I get the frustration, the last thing I wanted to do was close this facility.”

Memorial Arena has been a hot topic of conversation since the ice was removed in 2017, knowing the facility was aging, yet previous Council didn’t make moves to invest or refurbish the facility.

Regardless of what did not happen in the past, current Council and the Memorial Arena Task Force now must make some decisions. The struggle lies with the decision on whether it is more financially responsible to invest in the current building, or completely rebuild.

Currently operating at a $130,000 deficit, the Task Force and Town Council made clear the facility needs to be either repurposed or demolished and something else built in its stead to better serve the community for future generations.

Depending on what is decided for the current building, one thing that was unanimous with members at the January 6 meeting was this building has served as a community centre since 2017 and remains something the town needs.

According to comments made and sentiments expressed at the January 6 meeting, Council and the Memorial Arena Task Force see value in this facility and aim to create a vision and plan for future uses.

“Does it make sense to renovate a facility at 70-years-old, or to build an energy efficient facility that will last another 70 years for our community?” queried Bazinet at the meeting.

“We realize the importance of this facility. Council, staff and people of this community, including myself have an emotional attachment to this facility. We want to see something that will last.”

Next steps include figuring out what the community wants to do with the building, or use it for, followed by the cost of creating that space for the community.

Wanting to include the voices of the public, the possibility of a multiple-day Charette program was discussed, to give community members a space to share their ideas, date unknown as of now.

Memorial Arena Task Force will meet again on February 10 at 10 a.m. to discuss possible dates of a Charette program.

The Task Force will continue to meet once a month and will notify residents of any public meetings.

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