Today, the Honourable Harjit S. Sajjan, Minister of International Development and Minister responsible for the Pacific Economic Development Agency of Canada, on behalf of the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities, announced $821,460 in funding for the revitalization of the arena in the Town of Princeton.
"Princeton's arena has hosted a variety of local sports events for nearly half a century. For many residents, as is the case in so many communities across Canada, life revolves around the arena. This revitalization project will improve users' comfort while reducing heating and maintenance costs, creating savings for the municipality and encouraging even more residents to take advantage of these facilities," said the Honourable Harjit S. Sajjan, Minister of International Development and Minister responsible for the Pacific Economic Development Agency of Canada, on behalf of the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities.
"This arena has long been the vibrant site of community gatherings, events, and recreation activities in Princeton. Green investments in the arena will modernize the facility, enable recovery costs to be rerouted into other community projects, and bring eco-friendly, energy-efficient benefits to the community that exemplify one more way in which Princeton residents can feel pride in joining the clean economy," said Mayor Spencer Coyne.
Funding will support retrofits to the facility to help make it more energy efficient. These improvements will revitalize an aging arena in Princeton as well as support continued access to recreation services for community members. Improvements will include insulation upgrades, electric ice edging technology, upgrading the roof, and adding solar panels. Once complete, the retrofits will serve to reduce the facility's energy consumption by an estimated 38.7% and greenhouse gas emissions by 37.4 tonnes annually. The revitalized arena will be more environmentally friendly, with reduced costs for heating, and be more climate resilient.
Built in 1974, the arena is a place where residents and visitors gather and includes an ice rink, six public dressing rooms, seating for 500 people, a multi-use mezzanine, public restrooms, and a viewing area that provides year-round programming for hockey, lacrosse, highland dance, and karate. The arena is also used for community gatherings such as trade shows, wedding receptions and funeral services. It is a vital asset for the Princeton community, providing a space for people to socialize and stay active.
