(rdnewsNOW/Sheldon Spackman)

By rdnewsNOW Staff

New Era Begins

Jointly funded G.H. Dawe expansion project complete

Mar 20, 2023 | 2:34 PM

Local residents had their first look on Sunday at the newly expanded G.H. Dawe Community Centre.

The March 19 event gave visitors a chance to experience the new spaces as part of the expansion project. City officials note the project is jointly funded by the Government of Canada, the Province of Alberta and the City of Red Deer, and focuses on the modernization and replacement of existing spaces, as well as the addition of new amenities.

“Community and recreational infrastructure play an important role in building healthy and resilient communities,” said the Honourable Randy Boissonnault, Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance, on behalf of the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities. “The completion of the G.H. Dawe Community Centre expansion project is great news for Red Deer residents, as it will increase access to recreational services and opportunities to stay active. We will work with our government partners and community members across our province to turn their visions of a brighter future into a reality for all Albertans and Canadians.”

“The Alberta government is committed to helping build safe and sustainable communities,“ said Rebecca Schulz, Minister of Municipal Affairs. “This recreation centre will not only improve the health of those who visit it, it will enhance the long-term wellbeing of the city as a whole as a social hub and economic driver for years to come.”

“We are so excited to welcome residents back to the G.H. Dawe Community Centre, and showcase its remarkable upgrades and enhancements,” said Mayor Ken Johnston. “We remain grateful to the provincial and federal governments for the financial support on this project, creating equitable ice distribution, geographical needs and recreation opportunities across all Red Deer, for all our residents. We can’t wait for you to see it.”

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Users of the G.H. Dawe will have the opportunity to experience all that the expanded facility has to offer, including:

o Two NHL-sized arenas;

o Fitness and programming spaces including state-of-the art fitness equipment, two group fitness studios and a 230-metre fitness track; and

o Multiple public art installations.

(rdnewsNOW/Sheldon Spackman)

Barb McKee, Recreation Superintendent with the City of Red Deer, says everyone involved in the project is beyond excited with the facility’s grand re-opening.

“It’s been a long time with design and construction through the pandemic so that was a bit of a challenge to wrangle but we are so excited to welcome the community into a beautiful space,” says McKee.

(rdnewsNOW/Sheldon Spackman)

In addition to the above mentioned facility amenities, McKee says Woody’s Spray Park at the Dawe will also be opening later this summer.

“It is free, accessible, and fun for the family,” adds McKee.

The challenges presented by small change rooms in the old arena facility have also been addressed, says McKee.

“They are massive,” says McKee. “Not only are they large, but we have complimentary warm-up spaces so teams have dedicated space to warm up. We also have flex rooms which allow us that flexibility for people who are coming on a team that might have mixed genders, might have privacy needs. Even our officials have a really good sized change room.”

(rdnewsNOW/Sheldon Spackman)

City officials say accessing the recreation facility is also more convenient with the outdoor upgrades which include the addition of parking and an entrance on the north side of the building, and site access off 67 Street. The G.H. Dawe Community Centre will be open with new extended operational hours, exciting new programs and adjusted admission fees Monday, March 20.

McKee says the work and effort that went into designing and building an accessible facility is what she’s most proud of.

“We also have a new transit stop coming off of 67 Street that will allow anybody to access the space, 250 plus parking spots on the north of the facility, so it’s no longer an effort to kind of find it. It used to be a hidden gem. A very obvious facility now.”

(rdnewsNOW/Sheldon Spackman)

McKee acknowledges the newly expanded Dawe will have both immediate and long-term impacts on the community.

“It feels like a welcoming space where you can just go and feel like you fit in,” she explains. “We have the library as a strong partner on that site, Booster Juice is coming, so it really becomes a community gathering hub. Moving forward, it provides us some economic opportunities with that twin arena that’s fully functioning for ice and dry space for sport tourism and tourism development, so it really is a pivotal move for Red Deer.”

(rdnewsNOW/Sheldon Spackman)

With the City of Red Deer now having six sheets of ice once again, McKee says the Kinex Arena will soon be decommissioned as a sport facility.

“I know that’s hard for some, there’s some real heart string ties to that facility but we’ll no longer be using it for ice or dry space.”

She says that process will begin immediately.

“We’ll transition all bookings that were at the Kinex over to the Dawe but we will no longer be operating at the end of the month.”

The $42 million expansion project is funded by the Government of Canada through the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program ($15.1 million), the Government of Alberta through Municipal Sustainability Initiatives ($12.6 million), and the City of Red Deer’s 2020, 2021 and 2022 capital budgets ($14.2 million).

For more information on the G.H. Dawe Community Centre expansion project, please visit www.reddeer.ca/Dawe.