NEWS RELEASE – Legal, Alberta, July 19, 2024
From: Town of Legal
Groundbreaking Ceremony: Town of Legal Arena & Curling Rink Facility Retrofit
The Town of Legal is hosting a groundbreaking ceremony on July 19, 2024 at 3:00pm, which will mark the official start of construction of the retrofit of the Town of Legal’s arena and curling rink facility, located in Legal, Alberta Canada.
Design of the project began in early 2023 after the Town of Legal was approved for the Government of Canada’s Green and Inclusive Community Buildings (GICB) program receiving a grant in the amount of $7,159,360. The project includes much-needed upgrades to the facility including an NHL size ice surface, female dressing rooms, referee room, accessibility features throughout the facility, and modernization of the lobby area. This project will optimize on energy efficiency systems such as an improved insulated building envelope, and the addition of solar which will reduce energy consumption, green house gas emissions and lower operating costs.
Updating this 60-year-old facility will create opportunities to increase local usage, ensure sustainable operations and will provide continued excellent recreational services for not only residents from the Town of Legal, but also from Sturgeon County and the surrounding areas, including visitors to the community.
During the term of the project, the curling rink facility will be open for the regular 2024/2025 season, and the arena is scheduled to be open for the 2025/2026 regular season.
The Town of Legal would like to recognize those who have contributed and provided support to this project to date: Government of Canada (Green & Inclusive Community Building Program), Province of Alberta (Community Facility Enhancement Program), Sturgeon County, Greater St Albert Catholic Schools, Sturgeon Hockey Club, Legal Curling Club, Sturgeon Valley Fertilizers Ltd.
“Albertans deserve access to modern and safe sport spaces. Today’s funding grant in the Legal Arena and Curling Rink is giving Legal residents just that. By retrofitting their existing facilities, we’re modernizing amenities, improving energy efficiency, and making them accessible community spaces that everyone can enjoy,“ said the Honourable Randy Boissonnault, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages
"Hockey and Curling rinks form the cornerstone of Communities across this province. As MLA for Morinville-St. Albert I’m proud of the collaboration between the Town of Legal, Sturgeon Hockey Club, Greater St. Albert Catholic Schools, the Federal Government, and the Government of Alberta. It’s this kind of teamwork that ensure projects like this move from concept to completion.” Honourable Dale Nally, Minister of Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction
“We are proud to contribute to the improvements at the Legal Arena and Curling Rink,” said Sturgeon County Mayor Alanna Hnatiw. “Sturgeon County is committed to working with our municipal partners to provide recreation services and amenities that are accessible and enhance the high-quality of life that our residents value. Today, we are not just building an arena; we are creating a community hub and gathering space for generations to come.”
“The Town of Legal’s hockey and curling rink facility is an important focal point of recreation activities for residents of the community and surrounding areas and the much-needed upgrades to the facility will ensure continued access to community services and programs in a safe, barrier-free, modern, and energy efficient facility.” Trina Jones, Mayor of the Town of Legal.
“On behalf of the Greater St. Albert Catholic Schools board of trustees, we were happy to engage in consultation and collaboration with the Town of Legal regarding this exciting arena project. We were pleased that we were able to contribute property that would allow this facility to be a project that we can all be proud of. We are proud to be a partner in a project that will not only serve the students of Legal School, but the entire Legal community.” Lydia Yeomans, Board Chair, GSACRD
“The groundbreaking for the new Legal Arena is an exciting day for the Sturgeon Hockey Club. We can't wait for this premier facility to open where SHC players, coaches and volunteers alike, can continue to create lifelong memories and work together as one big team in growing the community of Legal and the entire surrounding region . A community arena is where kids dare to dream and the cheers of the crowd fuels the fire and passion in the hearts of our players. We are very excited to start a new era of Sturgeon Hockey in Legal and are ecstatic for the endless possibilities that playing minor hockey in this beautiful facility will create.” Gene Connors, President, Sturgeon Hockey Club
