Sask. town puts 'heart of the community' on auction due to growing costs, COVID-19 shutdown
After 15 years operating the Aberdeen Recreation Complex, the town is looking for a buyer to take over the burden of repairing and revitalizing the centre from taxpayers.
“One idea the board came up with was to basically find a community partner to come in, revitalize this rink and make it become the heart of the community again,” said Aberdeen Mayor Ryan White.
“It does need some infrastructure upgrades and that, coupled with maintaining the mortgage on it has put some undue stress on the tax base, so we’re looking for some opportunities that we can deal with that in another way without burdening our tax base.”
Currently funded by the Town and Rural Municipality of Aberdeen, White said a volunteer board of directors manage the centre’s operations.
He said growing infrastructure costs and maintenance, coupled with a global pandemic that forced the town to close the complex for several months, forced the board to look at alternatives to fund the centre.
“How do you operate a community hub when the community can’t gather? When you can’t have sports teams, weddings, bonspiels. It makes it very difficult,” White said.
“It was the straw that broke the camel’s back, basically it came to a point where we had to make a decision either we had to greatly increase our commitment from the Town and the RM.”
The facility spans 70,000 square feet and includes an ice hockey rink, the home of the Aberdeen Flames, four curling sheets, exercise rooms, a lounge and spectator seating on the top and bottom levels.
White said pre-COVID, the ice was available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.
“You could come out here on a 35-degree day, kids from the school would be here skating in shorts and t-shirts, so that wears on equipment.”
Currently on McDougall Auctioneers Ltd., there’s a bid of $160,000. According to the listing online, all offers are subject to the approval and acceptance by the Aberdeen and District Charities Inc. board of directors and the highest or any bid will not necessarily be accepted.
The auction closes July 30 at 1 p.m.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.
What is whooping cough and should Canadians be concerned as Europe declares outbreak?
There is currently a whooping cough epidemic in Europe, with 10 times as many cases compared to the previous two years. While an outbreak has not been declared nationwide in Canada, whooping cough is regularly detected in the country.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
B.C. theatre to pay $55K to neurodivergent actor in discrimination case
British Columbia's human rights tribunal has awarded a neurodigergent actor, who was diagnosed with sensory and learning disorders, more than $55,000 after finding that a Kelowna theatre company discriminated against him because of his disabilities.
Who's responsible for regulating cannabis stores operating under the sovereignty banner?
It's not quite clear who is supposed to be regulating so-called sovereign cannabis stores or even ensure they're benefiting Indigenous communities.