March 12, 2024

$6,000,000 Co-op Community Builder Campaign Launch for the new CO-OP CENTRE

A transformative gift, for a transformational facility

Meadow Lake, SK – March 12, 2024 – The City of Meadow Lake proudly announces a significant milestone in community development with unveiling the name of the CO-OP CENTRE, a state-of-the-art community and recreational facility nestled in the heart of Meadow Lake. The CO-OP CENTRE will be the central gathering space for multiple recreational, cultural, community and event uses, serving both Meadow Lake and surrounding regions.

This transformative project, is being bolstered today by a generous $3M donation from Meadow Lake Co-op. Of the $3M community investment, $2.5M will go towards the naming of the facility and the remaining $500,000 towards a community match for other donations received through the “CO- OP COMMUNITY BUILDER CAMPAIGN”. This represents a major step forward in the community's journey towards a brighter future. Along with federal and provincial grants, insurance proceeds from the previous arena, and unwavering regional and local support already in place, Meadow Lake Co-op's contribution serves as an inspiring catalyst for further fundraising efforts and community engagement.

The CO-OP CENTRE is the largest community facility ever built in Meadow Lake and will serve a regional population of approximately 8500 people. Boasting an expansive arena, versatile field house, and event centre, this facility will serve our community for generations to come.

"We are proud to support the CO-OP CENTRE initiative," says Caralee Strome, General Manager at Meadow Lake Co-op. "As an active and longstanding member of this vibrant community, we recognize the importance of investing in projects that enhance residents’ quality of life."

In addition to naming the facility, Meadow Lake Co-op has become the campaign sponsor hence the name “CO-OP COMMUNITY BUILDER CAMPAIGN”. This campaign is being led by a group of approximately 30 volunteers from the community and surrounding area with an overall goal of raising $6,000,000 throughout the campaign through individuals and businesses in the region. This gift, to officially launch the campaign, is remarkable and Meadow Lake Co-op leadership’s support of the campaign and community match will bring the whole community together to inspire more giving for this project and future projects in and around the Meadow Lake area.

Mayor Merlin Seymour expresses his gratitude for the support received from the Meadow Lake Co-op and the entire community: "The CO-OP CENTRE represents a significant milestone in our journey towards a healthier, more vibrant Meadow Lake," says Mayor Seymour. "We look forward to seeing the positive impact this facility will have on the lives of residents in Meadow Lake and the surrounding area."

With Meadow Lake Co-op's generous contribution serving as a rallying point, the ongoing fundraising campaign for the CO-OP CENTRE is an opportunity for community members to come together and make a lasting impact. Together, we can build a brighter, more resilient community for generations to come.

For more information on how to support the CO-OP CENTRE or get involved in shaping its future, please contact Tom Gorsalitz or any volunteer on the campaign team.

Or donate here: https://sscf.ca/funds/co-op-community-builder-campaign/

Tom Gorsalitz

306-227-7807

Tom.g@dcgsk.com

The original intent of the MLRC project included a replacement of the Civic Centre described as an "Event Centre". In order to align with the budget constraints of the project, the Event Centre was removed from the required scope of our request for proposals and was not included in the final proposal from our contractor, Quorex Construction Ltd. However, Quorex’s proposal did include an unfinished space allocated for a future “Sports Bar”. The City was given the unique opportunity to incorporate the Event Centre scope of work within that space which had been strategically designed for future improvements.

At their May 8, 2023 Regular Meeting, City Council made a resolution that authorized the Executive Committee of the project to discuss the possibility of reconfiguring the approved plans to replace the future Sports Bar space with an Event Centre space and for Administration to bring a proposal back to Council with a recommendation on the change.

The Project Executive Committee and Project Team Members conducted a comprehensive review of both the design and scope. The Sports Bar was modified and rebranded as the designated Event Centre within the existing footprint. This proposal was brought forward at the February 12, 2024 Regular Meeting. After some discussion, City Council approved the change of scope for the space and the newly reimagined Event Centre will be a part of the Meadow Lake Recreation and Civic Centre.

Event Centre Scope

The Event Centre will be located on the second floor of the facility, accessible by a grand staircase and elevator. In terms of design, the proposed Event Centre spans a total area of 697 sqm, providing seating for approximately 320 people at tables within a space of 538 sqm. The Event Centre is strategically positioned to become a central hub for hosting various events. The event space flooring will allow a dance floor to be configured as needed, and a removable stage of 33’ x 16’, which can be used for special events such as weddings, dances, banquets, conferences and more.

As the space is in close proximity to the ice rink and the fieldhouse, provisions for acoustic seals at the connection points of the Event Centre walls have been incorporated, ensuring effective noise reduction. See the proposed design (Sketch) below. Click the image to open a larger version of the plan in a new window:

Project Budget Impact

The project budget is currently on track and within the allocated budget. Back in May 2023 the Project Executive Committee allocated $1,000,000 of the project budget (from the construction contingency) as a placeholder to potentially complete the Event Centre scope. After reviewing with Quorex and updating the scope to align with direction, the revised amount for the proposed Event Centre is $1,232,449.55.

Our project managers have taken measures to ensure that the City is not being charged twice for items that were in the initial scope (contract) for the Sports Bar. The impact of the change order on the project budget was assessed, and it was determined that the project budget can accommodate the change while still allowing for future construction contingency items if needed.

Project Schedule Impact

The project is currently progressing on schedule, and the substantial performance date remains March 31, 2025.

We have been advised that the additional scope, including the interior fit-up of the Event Centre, might not align with the overall project timeline. To address this, Quorex has agreed to prioritize trades focused on the original contract (the structure of the building and the interior of the ice rink, fieldhouse and City Hall) before addressing the additional scope, ensuring the achievement of the substantial performance date.

While the project's substantial completion date remains the same, any interior work for the Event Centre can be completed after the facility is opened to the public. This change will have no adverse effects on our ICIP funding requirements but will require some coordination for the interior work of the Event Centre in order to be completed when the rest of the facility is open.

What does this mean for the current Civic Centre?

No decision has been made as to what will be done with the current Civic Centre. The City will keep the Civic Centre operational, at least until the new facility is up and running.

This plan does not account for the future of the Civic Centre and a recommendation on how to proceed will be brought to City Council at a later date.

On November 22, 2023 contractors began erecting the steel structure of our new facility!

Throughout the month of December, the steel structure for the Rink and Field House was built and ready for cladding and insulation to begin in 2024.

Our Groundbreaking Ceremony was a success! Thank you to everyone who participated!

You are invited to join the City of Meadow Lake and our partners to celebrate the start of construction of this new and exciting infrastructure. Quorex Construction mobilized to the project site in July of 2023 – and there are already a couple of dozen piles in the ground!

We want to remind people to please respect the site safety fencing and to not enter the construction site. Tours of the site are not being offered due to the construction activity.

After some brief opening comments, there will be remarks from dignitaries and some of our project team. At this time, we can confirm that among the dignitaries speaking will be: the Hon. Jeremy Harrison, MLA for Meadow Lake on behalf of the Government of Saskatchewan; His Worship Merlin Seymour, Mayor of the City of Meadow Lake; Reeve Dale Sheppard of the Rural Municipality of Meadow Lake, and Chief Tyson Bear of Flying Dust First Nation. This part of the program is scheduled for roughly 20 minutes, followed by the official groundbreaking photos with ceremonial hardhats and shovels. Following the official photo opportunity there will be a media scrum for media to interview dignitaries and the project team.

There were several local people who were instrumental in the success of the construction and fund-raising for the old Arena here in Meadow Lake. We regret that many of those people are longer with us but we have reached out to the people and their families who were some of the individuals that were instrumental in the construction of and fund-raising for the former Arena. These individuals are being sent invitations to attend the groundbreaking as our special guests.

These include individuals such as Melba Cariou on behalf of her husband Ray Cariou (deceased) who was the former chair of the Meadow Lake Arena association who did a lot of fund-raising for the Arena. As well as former Recreation Board Chair Gary Wood who did so much more for the facility than just chair the board, and Mae Fournier on behalf of her husband Gabe Fournier (deceased) who was also significantly involved in the success of the former facility. Among the special guests invited were also the Clark family on behalf of Flo Clark (deceased) who was another person who was instrumental as an executive of the former Arena Association, and Nels Anderson who was not just involved in hockey and support of the facility but also taught carpentry and would often bring his class down to get them involved with the construction of the old Arena.

At 11:30 a.m. we will be opening the Civic Centre where people can mill about and view the designs and floor plans for the facility including some impactful 3D renderings. At the same time, we will be serving a free public barbeque and there will be tables and chairs set up in the Civic Centre for people to eat and visit. The BBQ will end at 2 p.m. and the open house will end at 3 p.m. But don’t worry, for those who are unable to make the event in the daytime, the open house will be open again from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Civic Centre.

To commemorate this once in a generation occasion, the City will be giving away commemorative pewter alloy shovel keychains in an antique gold colour with the date and event embossed. These will be provided to dignitaries, special guests, and the project team and to the public on a first come first served basis as long as supplies last. A few of these will be reserved to hand out to those who attend the open house in the evening.

There are some important milestones coming up for the new Meadow Lake Recreation and Civic Centre Project (MLRC).

The remains of the old arena are being removed and Quorex Construction will be mobilizing to site over the next couple of weeks. You’ll start to see work site fencing going up as early as July 4^th and some earthwork beginning on-site around the end of July.

We ask people to respect posted site signage and proceed around these areas with caution. The safety of both work crews and the general public are of the utmost importance. Please contact Quorex’s Site Superintendent at Al Houk – 1-306-230-4054 with any questions or concerns about site safety.

In the background Workun Garrick is finalizing the facility design and this should be about 66% complete in mid-July, and about 99% complete in mid-August. The public will get to see some cool renderings of the design at an open house coming up this fall, and there is also a ground breaking ceremony being scheduled so stay tuned!

Return to this project page for more updates as we continue to move forward. Consider registering and subscribing to this project to receive updates directly to your e-mail inbox or to ask questions.

Quorex's proposal indicated that additional funding would be required if the City wanted to include a Field House in the scope of work. After careful consideration at their May 8, 2023 meeting, Council committed an additional $9.5M in funding to the overall budget to complete the Field House. The RM of Meadow Lake has committed to a significant contribution of up to a maximum of $2,379,020 towards the inclusion of the fieldhouse. This means the City will need to come up with just over $7 million to fund the Field House portion of the project.

Funding Background

Please note that the City would take out the loan for the entirety of this portion of the facility (as the owner) and the RM would contribute towards the loan payments going forward.

Council has not decided on the exact method of sourcing these funds at this time. We know some level of borrowing would be needed which would require the City to apply to the Saskatchewan Municipal Board (SMB) to increase its borrowing limit and apply for funding either through the Municipal Finance Corporation of Saskatchewan or from another lending institution. Part of this process is deciding where the funds to make the loan payments will come from.

There are a number of options for sourcing the necessary funding. The City Treasurer is now beginning to prepare a a detailed funding proposal that can be brought to Council in a Request for Decision.

The City will be advertising for selling of the naming rights and soliciting sponsorships and donations. Stay tuned!