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North Battleford has identified land beside the InnovationPlex Recreation and Cultural Centre as the preferred site for a proposed new arena and events centre, as the city moves ahead with a municipally owned model after regional ownership talks failed to reach consensus.
Council voted this week to authorize administration to pursue federal and provincial funding for the proposed twin-pad facility, which would replace the aging Access Communications Centre.
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Mayor Kelli Hawtin said months of discussions through a regional steering committee showed broad support for a new arena across the Battlefords region, but not enough support for a shared ownership structure involving multiple communities.
“It was something new we were trying in terms of bringing together that many communities to jointly own something, and we didn’t quite get there, but we got to the point of a ‘regionally-supported,’” she said.
The proposed site is located east of the existing pool and field house near InnovationPlex, on municipally owned land previously identified in a feasibility study.
(City of North Battleford/Submitted)
“That’s really the only municipally owned piece of land that we have,” Hawtin said. “As we move forward with a city-owned project, we will put this with our city-owned regional recreation facilities on the city’s land.”
Documents presented to council show a proposed facility that would include a 2,600-seat main arena, a secondary 400-seat rink and accessible multi-purpose community spaces spanning more than 121,000 square feet.
The city’s latest estimate placed the project cost at approximately $94 million, with officials continuing to refine the figure alongside consultants.
The economic benefit from construction was estimated at $58 million and more than 200 jobs, while the city has acknowledged the facility would likely operate with an annual deficit, requiring a long-term operating model.
(City of North Battleford/Submitted)
The city plans to seek infrastructure funding from both senior levels of government, while also relying on municipal contributions and a community fundraising campaign to assemble the remaining local share.
“We’ll be working on applying for federal and provincial government grants as early as in the coming days this week,” Hawtin said.
The mayor added that the federal infrastructure stream the city intends to pursue, the Building Community Strong Fund, requires projects to be ready to begin construction within roughly a year, while previous estimates projected the facility could open as early as September of 2032.
So far, the City of North Battleford has approved a $15 million commitment toward the project, including up to $350,000 annually in operating costs.
The Town of Battleford has also passed a resolution committing $1 million in capital funding, including an initial $1 million payment once senior government funding is secured, followed by annual payments of $270,000 over 10 years.
The RM of Battle River and RM of North Battleford have also passed resolutions committing a combined total of just over $1 million in capital funding toward the proposed facility.
As a proposed site is now identified, a fundraising committee working with DCG Philanthropic is also preparing to launch a broader public campaign after previously operating in what Hawtin described as a “quiet phase.”
“They were waiting on the details. Where will this be located? What size of facility will this be? We’ve got a more clear answer for them now, and they’re ready to go,” she said.
Hawtin said a fundraising feasibility study estimated the campaign could bring in approximately $20 million.
When asked whether a single-pad arena estimated at $57.3 million in 2025 dollars would be more economical and achievable, Hawtin said the city remains focused on a twin-pad design because “that’s what our community requires.”
“That was the optimum option in the feasibility study because of the opportunities it can bring to the community. Tourism opportunities, economic benefit opportunities, and emergency preparedness opportunities,” she said.
“And, of course, the more arenas you can get built together in one facility, the lower your operating cost per pad of ice is. So there’s a benefit to having a facility built that size.”
Hawtin said the city may still need to reconsider its approach if it cannot secure the full funding package.
“If we can’t achieve $94 million, we’re going to have to rethink our approach and where we land, whether it’s on a single-pad facility or whether it’s on refurbishment of the existing access communication centre,” she said.
If the project proceeds, Hawtin said the current Access Communications Centre would eventually be demolished.
For now, she said the condition of the aging building is adding urgency to the timeline, with rehabilitation work needing to begin in 2027. Repairs to the current Access Communications Centre are estimated at roughly $15 million, and would only extend the facility’s lifespan by about another decade.
“The Access Communications Centre is ticking in the number of months and not years that we have to be able to start reclamation work if we’re going to restore that building,” Hawtin said.
“Time is of the essence in this.”
— with files from CKOM News
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