Orillia invests $12.4 million to upgrade one of its oldest buildings
The City of Orillia plans to extend the life of one of its oldest buildings with a $12.4 million renovation project.
The Brian Orser Arena on Gill Street was initially called the Twin Lakes Arena when it was built in 1974, and according to the City, it's in need of some improvements..
"It's important to be able to have our community come together and, you know, mutually experience something that is going to be positive for the community," says Chris Mercer, who spent part of the day playing his guitar in the city's downtown.
- Download the CTV News app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates sent to your email inbox
Paul Barnetson has run the arena for almost 30 years and says the building and many like it are a big part of the community.
"They are a gathering point for families to come together, and the kids come together; it's ingrained in them. They grow up in these buildings, and then they come back," says Barnetson.
The renovation project is expected to begin this summer.
"We'll be looking specifically at replacing the ice pad and the refrigeration system, the bench, the bleachers, updates to the change rooms, the exterior of the facility, and roofing improvements, all to be completed with energy-efficient options," says Roger Young with the City of Orillia.
When the work begins, the city will have just two rinks for user groups. All teams using the Brian Orser rink will be moved to the Rotary Place arena.
Hockey, figure skating and lacrosse groups are preparing for the short-term move.
"It's going to continue to provide a spot for kids to go and be able to use it for all sorts of sports, not just hockey, figure skating, and lacrosse, but let's spend it," says Christy Scheffel with Orillia Lacrosse.
The City approved the multi-million-dollar renovation project as part of the 2024 Capital Budget.
After the extensive upgrades are completed, the City expects the Brian Orser Arena's lifespan will increase by roughly 25 years.
Staff hope to have the arena operational for the 2025-26 season.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Parents of infant who died in wrong-way crash on Ontario's Hwy. 401 were in same vehicle
Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit has released new details about a wrong-way collision in Whitby on Monday night that claimed the lives of four people.
Three Quebec men from same family father hundreds of children
Three men in Quebec from the same family have fathered more than 600 children.
B.C. mayor stripped of budget, barred from committees over Indigenous residential schools book
A British Columbia mayor has been censured by city council – stripping him of his travel and lobbying budgets and removing him from city committees – for allegedly distributing a book that questions the history of Indigenous residential schools in Canada.
Jurors in Trump hush money trial hear recording of pivotal call on plan to buy affair story
Jurors in the hush money trial of Donald Trump heard a recording Thursday of him discussing with his then-lawyer and personal fixer a plan to purchase the silence of a Playboy model who has said she had an affair with the former president.
Captain sentenced to 4 years for criminal negligence in fiery deaths of 34 aboard scuba boat
A federal judge on Thursday sentenced a scuba dive boat captain to four years in custody and three years supervised release for criminal negligence after 34 people died in a fire aboard the vessel.
New scam targets Canada Carbon Rebate recipients
Fake text message and email campaigns trying to get money and information out of unsuspecting Canadian taxpayers have started circulating, just months after the federal government rebranded the carbon tax rebate the Canada Carbon Rebate.
Southern Alberta store broken into by burly black bear
Staff at a small southern Alberta office supply store were shocked to find someone had broken into the business last week, but they were even more confused when they discovered the culprit was a bear.
President Joe Biden calls Japan and India 'xenophobic' nations that do not welcome immigrants
President Joe Biden has called Japan and India “xenophobic” countries that do not welcome immigrants, lumping the two with adversaries China and Russia as he tried to explain their economic circumstances and contrasted the four with the U.S. on immigration.
Universities grapple with the complicated politics of campus encampments
Montreal police are facing pressure to move in and dismantle a pro-Palestinian encampment on McGill University campus on Thursday, as a growing number of universities across this country grapple with the tough decision of how to handle the protests.