CREMONA - Council approved a request from the Cremona and District Agricultural (Ag) Society for funding to help with the expansion and improvements on the Cremona Arena.
Council will provide funding of $3,500 per year from 2017 to 2019 with the money coming from the council community grants and enhancement budget line.
"I think it's fantastic that the town is standing behind it," said Greg Earle, Cremona Ag Society president. "The fact that the town is on side with the whole expansion is pretty substantial and positive."
The Ag Society is hoping to raise $1.2 million in total for the expansion, which they hope to begin in March of 2018.
"We're working with the county along with applying for provincial and federal grants in order to get funding in place," said Ag Society director Jamie Veres.
"Our hope is to expand and be able to include more dressing rooms. We've got more teams coming in with more girls and the only change room we have now is the public washroom downstairs. It would be nice to have an actual girls' change room."
Other changes would be a bigger referees' room and upgrades to the plumbing and heating system.
"It would be far cheaper to abandon the old system and put on an addition that would incorporate the new mechanical than to tear down the entire existing structures out and rebuild it all," she said.
The arena is 34 years old and has no ventilation other than opening the door, said Veres.
There are many groups that use the arena including minor hockey, Fun Team hockey, figure skating and more. In addition, nearby groups from communities such as Airdrie and Cochrane rent the ice.
In other council news, CAO Luana Smith was appointed as the returning officer for this year's municipal election.
Council also set April 8 as the date for a special council meeting to pass the operating and capital budgets for 2017.
Council set the priorities for the Didsbury RCMP detachment for Cremona for 2017-18.
"The priorities are community visibility, traffic safety and crime reduction," said Smith. "Council has noted they've seen more visibility of police in the community and in the school."
"I think it's fantastic that the town is standing behind it."Greg EarleCremona Ag Society president
